


Up Under the Stars and Moon

by Rambert



Category: Original Work
Genre: Ableist Language, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Age Difference, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Arguing, Begging, Boys In Love, But still consensual, Celebrations, Celtic Mythology & Folklore, Celts, Compromise, Cooking, Dancing, Drunk Sex, Enthusiastic Consent, Except it won't be really lol, Explicit Sexual Content, Extortion, Fae & Fairies, Fae Magic, Family Drama, Finger Sucking, Foot Massage, Gaelic Language, Healthy Relationships, Heavy Drinking, Illusions, Interracial By Fantasy Standards, Interspecies Relationship(s), Invisibility, It's censored though, Kinda predatory, Licking, Long Hair, M/M, Mages, Male-Female Friendship, Mutual Pining, Mythology - Freeform, Neck Kissing, Non-Human Humanoid Society, One Night Stands, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Protective Siblings, Rimming, Shameless Smut, Sneaking Out, Spit As Lube, Stairs, Star-crossed, Tarot, Threats, Thunderstorms, Villains, Walks In The Woods, Work In Progress, living underground
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-01-20 23:16:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21289796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rambert/pseuds/Rambert
Summary: Wandering through the woods, Ailill hummed quietly to himself as he searched for good kindling to add to his little armful, stopping every minute or so to stoop and pick up a piece.A sudden noise nearby made him stand still immediately, listening.What was that?He could have sworn he'd heard laughter. But looking around, there was no one there...Taking another step, then one more, Ailill paused. Nothing.He bent over to pick up a stick and heard laughter again. Snapping back up, he saw-- nothing."Is someone there?" he asked, quietly but insistently."Please, if you are... it's all right to come out."He heard a franticshhhfollowed by some whispered words that weren't Gaelic.Then four beings stepped out into view, all of them wearing clothes that blended in with the forest background perfectly yet also were so glamorous that they stood out like gemstones.The fae Averey decides to venture topside and meets the human Ailill. What was supposed to be a one-night stand, turns into much more.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 12
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Regarding the Age Difference tag, my human character Ailill here is 29 years old. And Averey is, well, a fae. Meaning pretty darn ancient (a few hundred years). Read into that what you wish, though this relationship is going to be very consensual in my framing. But I would be remiss not to mention the implied power dynamics at play here.
> 
> About my application of faeries and Celtic lore: my fae folk do not have wings and are a little taller than humans. Besides their use of magic and their ethereal beauty (and the pointed ears), they are rather similar in appearance and proportion to humans. Thus they can often successfully disguise themselves as humans with their magic, or what they call a glamour. These fae speak their own language primarily but are also fluent in Gaelic based on their region, and use many Gaelic words among themselves. This is drawn (very) loosely from the history of Tír na nÓg, the Celtic Otherworld where gods and supernatural creatures lived.

"Tonight?! Brucie, you can't be serious."

Oh, but the mischeivous amusement dancing in his best friend's iridescent purple eyes showed that he was.

"Come _on_ Averey, you were dying to go out amongst the humans on Beltane, but then the lift broke and we couldn't. _You_ said we should take the next opportunity to go topside."

"Yes, and that was on Beltane last year when it was _warm_, Brucie. The ground is still frozen up there you know."

"But tonight's Imbolc. Celebrating Lady Brighid and the return of the sun and spring, Avey! They're going to get pissed drunk. They'll barely be able to stand up, let alone detect a glamour."

"And is that supposed to sound like fun?"

"I dunno. Does _this_ look like fun to you, Avey?" Brucie said impishly, holding up two large bottles of fairy wine.

Wine that was, of course, much much stronger than anything humans made or could tolerate. And was currently in prohibition under recent Council law.

As Brucie always knew, exploiting Averey's love of forbidden faerie wine proved quite effective.

Suddenly this was seeming like a decent idea after all.

\--

Buzzing off the luridly sweet wine, Averey and Brucie-- both wearing glamours to hide their pointed ears and make their skin and eyes less... sparkly rainbow-- stumbled out of the lift into the copse of woods that bordered the human village.

The glamour also made their clothes look like the crude raiment of country folk, when in reality they were still wearing elven garb. But the fae still had their vanity and pride, and Averey wore his long silken black hair down; it shimmered in the moonlight as they walked. Brucie had done his up into a simple braid, securing it at the base with a moonstone clip.

Every few decades or so when they got especially bored Brucie convinced Avery to play this dangerous game of pretending to be human for a night.

They'd each find one to seduce, leaving them mystified the next morning not having the faintest clue _who_ they'd slept with. And the human would never see them again in their life.

Averey couldn't deny that it was an intoxicating thrill; however the worry of being arrested was difficult to ignore.

It was almost impossible to get a permit to go topside unless you were with the Echelon. And the last fae to be caught topside without a valid permit... well. They were still in prison and their appeal trial had been postponed indefinitely.

But Avey couldn't say no to Brucie's schemes, not when he wanted to participate as well. The Underground had been turning into a corrupt empire since most of the fae-folk retreated there from Tír na nÓg more than a millennia ago now, and since the Council had unanimously declared themselves lifetime members... all the more reason to escape and get topside for a while. The humans enjoyed it, why couldn't they? The thrill of being caught just made it more exciting, after all.

Averey tried not to think about what his older sister Aoifa would say if she knew he was sneaking around like this again.

There was a big group of humans gathered around the giant bonfire that represented the Sun, talking raucously and laughing and singing songs to celebrate winter's end. Children were weaving Bridghid's crosses and Brideo'gas-- Bridghid dolls-- out of dry grasses; the delicious smell of buttered potatoes and roast meats wafted up to greet them along with the herbed wood smoke from the bonfire. Many of the humans were clearly already drunk, and the rest were working on it-- the faeries were in good company here.

\--

Ailill MacRuidhrí was filling flagons with ale to be passed around. He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up to see a _very_ pretty someone eyeing the beer he'd just poured. Standing tall, with long fine hair as black as night, looking softer than hair had a right to.

"Is this one called for, then?" the stranger asked, and there was something about their brogue that Ailill couldn't place.

It almost sounded as if Gaelic wasn't their first language, which led Ailill to briefly wonder just how far they had traveled.

"Nah, go for it," he said genially, for everyone was just helping themselves so far.

"Happy Imbolc to you!"

"And also to you," the stranger chorused back, their eyes twinkling in a way that could only be described as _gorgeous_.

Ailill nearly missed where he was pouring.

"So, you're from out of town right?" he asked.

The stranger laughed.

"Ah, suppose I stick out more'n I thought I would."

"Well, you picked a good time to travel through!" Ailill said, grinning toothily up at the stranger as he held up his freshly-filled drink.

"Sláinte*!" he cried, waiting for the stranger to raise their own flagon and say the toast back before they both took a long drink.

"What with the holiday and all everyone's in very hospitable spirits. Me included. I'm Ailill. What's your name?"

"Averey, but you can call me Avey if you like," the stranger said, smirking back.

"So Ailill, your parents must have believed in faeries."

"What makes you say that?"

"Your name... long ago it was once used to describe magic users, or the fae-folk."

"I know that," Ailill said with a small smile, a dimple showing up in between freckles.

"My parents died when I was a babe though, so I never knew why they chose the name they did for me."

"Ah... I'm sorry for your loss."

The party surged around them, and Ailill shook his red-curl-covered head.

"Go raibh maith agat**, let's not bring things down by talkin' about that. Tell me more about where you're from, Avey."

"Mm, not as far away as you might think."

"Try me."

Ailill could have sworn he saw a bright pulsing light like a shooting star soar across Avey's left eye as they looked at each other.

But that was ridiculous... right? It had to be just the reflection from the fire.

"I'm from a land much older than this one," Avey said slowly, his voice sounding tired and ancient.

Ailill thought they must be the same age, considering Avey's lack of wrinkles, but... looks could be deceiving. Just how old _was_ he?

"As you can probably tell, Gaelic is not my mother tongue."

"It was a tad obvious," Ailill admitted.

"So then where are you from originally?"

"I don't know. I'm an orphan too," Averey said, and now it was Ailill's turn to feel embarrassed for the awkward turn the conversation had taken.

"Sorry, that was impolite of me to press on it."

"Nah, now we're even," Averey insisted, and when Ailill met his gaze they smiled at each other for a moment, making Ailill's heart thump wildly in his chest.

He felt like a teenager again with how he was reacting to this attractive person, it was embarrassing... or would have been, if he didn't feel like Avey actually wanted to talk to him in particular out of everyone else here.

The stranger was opening his mouth to say something else...

But the band had just launched into the popular "Reel Around the Sun", and the crowd began clapping rhythmically to the tin pipe and fiddles and Uilleann pipes and Bodhrán drums.

Someone was tugging at Ailill's hand, beckoning him towards the dancing.

Not wanting to turn down an invitation, Ailill chugged down the last of his ale then grabbed Averey's hand with his free one, laughing as they were both dragged into the stomping crowd.

They started off in step together as partners circling around each other, but as the reel's steps progressed through the pattern Ailill and Avey were separated into different spinning circles of dancers.

Averey spilled quite a bit of his ale all over the ground in his movements-- but he wasn't the only one who'd boldly decided to take his drink dancing. Besides, spilled ale was just another offering to Bridghid and was ultimately considered polite this time of year.

"Hail Bridghid!" Averey cried as his lost drink soaked into the grass.

He smiled rogueishly across the dance circle at Ailill, who nearly tripped over his own feet before getting back into step.

Wherever this mystery man was from, Ailill sure hoped he'd stay here for a while. He wanted to see more of those smiles directed at him.

"Hail Bridghid!" he cried back, whooping and prompting others to take up the cheer in reply.

The throngs of people spun playfully around the bonfire, cheering and whistling as the musicians got louder and rowdier. The reel was well and truly going now through the first tempo change and into the faster part. The ground trembled beneath the stomping feet of the dancers, their steps shaking the Earth to awaken her for another Spring.

For not being from around here, Ailill noticed with interest that Averey could reel with the best of 'em, attracting cheers from onlookers too old or drunk to participate. His feet were flying so fast through the steps that he almost looked superhuman, dancing like that.

But Ailill was rather drunk himself by this point-- that flagon he'd just drained had been his third, tonight, and he was somewhat of a lightweight-- and so he chalked it up to his eyes playing tricks on his brain.

It became quickly apparent that Averey wasn't the only stranger here tonight; Ailill was briefly introduced to the equally elegant Brucie as they joined hands and stepped together when the loops of dancers intersected and partners were changed. They were both so beautiful and tall that they looked like they could be brothers, and Brucie already had attracted a gaggle of admirers fawning over his moonstone braid clip and his makeup.

More whoops and cries of "Hail Brighid!" filled the air as the reel reached its dizzying conclusion, and when the musicians played their final chord the crowd erupted into cheers and applause.

Ailill's face was flushed both from dancing and drink. He grinned up at Avey, as they'd become partners again for the finale. The stranger's flagon had disappeared somewhere; they were holding hands once more.

"You're a marvelous dancer for not being from around here," Ailill breathed, and then swallowed hard seeing Averey's smile get positively feral.

"I'm pretty marvelous at several other things as well... might you be interested in me showing you?" he asked in a rumbling baritone, letting go of Ailill's hands and tracing his finger down the young man's cheek.

Ailill drew in a sharp breath, and he couldn't deny that sounded very tempting. He was quite pleased to find out this gorgeous stranger was into him after all... it had been a _long_ time since Ailill had been this attracted to someone, alcoholic influence aside. He felt like a moth drawn to Avey's flame.

"Perhaps we should find someplace a little quieter, then? Follow me..."

Taking Averey by the hand, Ailill led them away from the celebration and down one of the cobblestone lanes of the village. But he didn't take him to one of the houses, instead leading him back towards the grove of trees that marked the border of the town.

They tromped through the forest underbrush for a few minutes in silence before Averey finally asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"We're almost there, trust me."

They had arrived at Ailill's favorite place in the entire world.

In a clearing currently bathed in the light of the full moon, Ailill had years ago built a little lean-to shack just for himself, to escape to when village life became too hectic. Out here it was so quiet, and you could see the stars easier when everyone's lanterns and bonfires were far from view.

"Now where did I--" Ailill fumbled around in the dark inside, searching for his flint rocks so that he could light a candle. Then he used that candle to light a couple more, illuminating the tiny hut in a soft orange glow.

In here there was nothing except a pallet and blankets for a bed, and some books and parchment stacked neatly next to a quill and inkwell in the corner along with a few clothing items.

"This isn't where I live, but I just like to come out here sometimes to get away from it all," Ailill said, watching Averey look around inside.

"It's not much, but I built it with my own two hands."

"I think it's lovely," Averey said, smiling back at Ailill and sitting next to him on the bed pallet.

"You still interested in... this?" he asked, placing a gentle hand on Ailill's thigh.

"Please." Ailill felt his face heating up in a flush again, but he nodded eagerly. The entire walk here had just been ramping up the anticipation.

"Kiss me, please."

The way the other man was _smiling_ at him, eyes sparkling, he almost looked like a--

No, that definitely couldn't be possible. He was too drunk right now, Ailill told himself, and then he wasn't able to have any coherent thoughts besides _oh yes_ because warm lips were on his own for the first time in _far_ too long.

Ailill's eyes slid closed as they kissed and he heard a moan, dimly realizing that he was the one who'd made the noise.

Then there was a throaty chuckle, that was Avey.

"You are _so_ pretty..." The words were murmured into Ailill's neck, and his breath hitched.

Then he yelped when Averey bit his throat teasingly. It felt amazing, and Ailill was already getting hard.

Avey kissed him again, messier this time; Ailill let his fingers slide into that black silken sheaf of hair, the feeling against his fingers just incredible. Oh, this was heaven.

It was _so soft_ it made him groan from the sweetness of it.

"Mm, be careful with my hair Ailill," came Averey's husky voice dripped into his ear.

"My scalp is extremely... mm... _sensitive_."

"N-noted," Ailill stuttered, his fingers slipping through the silky strands easily to let it fall away from his grip.

"I just can't help touching it, you're so... _so_ beautiful, Avey..."

"You're easy on the eyes yourself, Ailill," came the reply just before their mouths met again.

And this time, Ailill pulled Averey close, slowly tugging them down onto the pallet as they kissed. He felt giddy: it was never _him_ getting a sweet someone to pull him away from the feasting and drinking, always his friends and neighbors. It wasn't that he was the only gay man in the village, far from it-- it just happened to be that Ailill's soft demeanor wasn't... exciting enough for many of the lads around here.

And now he'd somehow found such a handsome someone to boot... if Ailill had been more superstitious and well, sober, he may have suspected a fae glamour. This village wasn't modern enough yet to have let go of their tales of the fae folk and their wily ways.

But the stranger in his arms was sweaty and grimy and sour with drink; when Ailill licked down his jaw he tasted deliciously _human_. And right now the redhead wasn't one to overthink an ideal situation. Not when he was this hard.

Then he felt Averey's hips rock into his own and Ailill shuddered, exhaling harshly as a wave of hot pleasure washed through him from the contact. He opened his mouth to ask Avey for more, but all that came out was a low moan.

If Averey was used to people utterly losing their composure around him he didn't seem to show it, taking his time to relish every last grunt and gasp he could tug from Ailill as they explored each other's bodies.

"You make such irresistible sounds," Averey breathed into his ear, his voice gone deep with arousal.

"Please, Ailill, let me touch you inside..."

Ailill cried out just from the suggestion, his face flushing beet-red.

It had been entirely too long since he'd had a good fucking, and _gods_ did he want it.

"Y-yes," Ailill gasped, barely able to form the word.

"Yes, _yes_..."

He heard Averey let out a hiss of breath through his teeth.

"Undress for me..."

Ailill wriggled around on the pallet, struggling to undress quickly. Averey was ripping off his own clothes in a clumsy haste, black silky hair cascading down over his toned shoulders and chest, and all Ailill could do was stare at the gorgeous man in his bed.

His mouth may have been hanging open as he gazed up at Averey in glassy-eyed lust... he didn't care. He wanted to remember this moment forever.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are like this?"

Averey said that while his fingers teased at Ailill's parted lips, and the young man took them in eagerly to get them wet.

"Mmm, and not inexperienced either," Averey added, pleased.

A few seconds later he withdrew his spit-slicked fingers and trailed them down to Ailill's entrance, circling over the pucker for a few moments first.

Their eyes locked as Ailill felt the first two knuckles of Averey's digit slowly push inside. The heat from the beautiful stranger's gaze held Ailill stiller than if he'd been bound and tied... but he didn't want to move. Didn't want to be anywhere else than right here.

As the third knuckle worked its way in Ailill's eyes slid closed from the intensity of the sensation. It wasn't painful but... it wasn't feeling good yet exactly, either. This required patience, and perseverance, but Ailill's many hours of experimenting knew it paid off very well. He whimpered.

"Does it hurt?" Averey asked, sounding concerned but also wanting.

It made Ailill shiver.

"N-no... 's all right," he insisted, arching a little into Averey's hand.

"Please... more..."

He was glad the lean-to was far enough from the village for almost total privacy, because the noise that escaped him when he felt the second finger push up inside was... embarrassing.

But when he opened his eyes and looked up at Averey's face, the stranger didn't look amused... on the contrary, he was licking his lips, looking like he could just eat Ailill up.

Ailill wasn't sure he'd object to that right now, either.

"How does that feel inside?" Averey husked, clearing his throat.

"F-fine... doesn't hurt," Ailill gasped, trying to relax around the bigger intrusion despite the instinct to clench, to push out.

He knew that this would feel amazing once his muscles stopped tensing so much, but it was always easier said than done. Especially when he was nervous from it being his first time in a long time. Closing his eyes again and taking a few deep breaths, Ailill tried to focus on calming himself.

"You're doing wonderfully," Averey praised, cupping Ailill's chin with his free hand and tracing his thumb over it gently.

Ailill melted from the sweetness of the gesture. He looked up again, and got lost in the swirling depths of Averey's eyes, which were almost _glowing... _that had to be the moonlight reflecting in them somehow. Right...?

"Please," Ailill begged, not trusting himself to say anything else at the moment.

He hoped Averey would know what he was asking for.

And luckily he did... a third finger soon joined the first two, and Averey was breathing in ragged pants above Ailill now as he scissored and stretched the young man. Ailill saw Averey's long, leaking cock throb every time he moaned from the attention inside, and _oh_ Ailill wanted that cock in him.

He bucked desperately into those long fingers, their positioning absolutely _lewd_ now as they crooked and bent, searching for --

Ailill hissed sharply, grabbing Averey's wrist.

"_There_."

"There?" Averey confirmed, rubbing the spot he was on again.

And again. And again.

"Yes, _yes_," Ailill groaned, his own erection growing back to full with rapidity.

"A-_Avey_," he cried out brokenly when the stranger _pushed_ against that spot with all his arm weight behind it.

And suddenly, though the fingers were lighting him on fire from the inside, Ailill knew what he wanted. What he had to ask for right _now_ before he lost all ability for speech.

"Please get inside me, _please...!_"

Averey let out a hoarse curse that didn't sound like Gaelic before withdrawing his fingers, but Ailill wasn't really in a state to know what it was. And didn't care, because now he was watching Averey spit into his hand and fist his gorgeous cock, and then they were shifting together and-- and--

_Oh yes_!

Ailill was on fire, but in the best way. Desire _burned_ through him as Averey's cock slid gradually inside, bit by pulsing bit.

The only noise between them was their gasping breaths, and time seemed to hang suspended. It took more than a minute for Averey to fully sheath himself inside Ailill.

It was so hot it almost hurt... but Ailill knew it would be _so_ good if he just gave himself a moment to take it all in, and adjust.

Avey thankfully seemed to know this also, holding himself very still once he was fully inside. He was trembling from the effort though, and Ailill's smile up at him was almost shy.

"Appreciate you bein'... hnn... gentle..."

Normally Ailill was used to having to be _very_ vocal about his pain, to stop someone from hurting or tearing him, but Avey seemed to know his way around this act quite well. Ailill hadn't been in real pain once so far, an unfortunately novel experience for all his experiences with another person involved.

"Of course," came the breathless reply, as Avey leaned down to kiss him softly.

"I want this to be good for both of us," he whispered, grunting as they accidentally shifted and he went _deeper_ inside Ailill.

"Uhhh_huhhh_."

Ailill would have laughed at that noise Avey just made but, he was too busy being unable to articulate thoughts besides _big dick even deeper inside me now_. Which made him answer in a most undignified whine instead as he curled his legs around Avey's waist to pull him in deeper still.

They weren't even moving yet, but they didn't have to-- Ailill was gasping like he was out among the stars rather than down here on Earth. And Avey's grip on his hips was so tight, it almost hurt... only almost.

He didn't mind a couple small bruises from the heat of passion, not when things were going like _this_.

"Ailill," came his name in a raw groan, dripping from Averey's lips like unfiltered honey. Thick and rich.

He would do whatever it took to get Avey to say his name like that again.

Arching into the stranger's lithe body, Ailill's voice ratcheted up when they suddenly began to _move_ together, writhing in just the right push-and-pull sort of way to be truly intoxicating. And then-- and then--!

"A-Avey _yes_!" he cried out desperately, barely hearing Averey grunt something that didn't sound like Gaelic again.

That cock was rammed right up against the best spot it could possibly be, driving Ailill wild.

It was so _good,_ and so hard not to just go harder, faster moremoremore... but Ailill didn't want this to be over just yet. This... this felt so much better than most of the attention he'd ever gotten in this manner.

"_Avey_," he moaned, pleased when he felt the stranger shiver against him.

It was so much better, for the fact that he knew this attraction wasn't one-sided. That he wasn't just a convenient hole to fuck to satisfy an urge. After many years of doubting that he'd ever find this kind of fated encounter, Ailill found himself wanting this to last as long as possible. But the heat was already building thick and fast in the pit of his stomach...

"S-slow... slower," he gasped, when he felt Averey starting to up the pace again.

"Please..."

"Does it hurt?" Averey asked, stilling immediately, and Ailill shook his head.

"N-no, not at all, just... don't want to finish yet," he breathed, cheeks flushing in shame.

Ailill had been almost getting close already, and was rather humiliated to find his endurance for this had vanished so completely.

Averey's kiss was soft, his voice quiet despite its roughness.

"Me either," was all he said, and Ailill couldn't find breath for a response.

They clutched at each other with more deliberation, now, communicating nonverbally before a shift in position or another kiss. Words were too complex for... whatever was happening between them. The heat radiating between their bodies was fogging up the tiny window in the lean-to.

It almost felt like Avey could read his mind... and not for the first time tonight Ailill wondered if he'd actually managed to bed a fae, like all the elder locals would gossip about their parents doing.

Glamours could be _very_ convincing after all, if you were to believe the tales.

And this sex... it was transcending everything Ailill had ever experienced. Eclipsing it even. Heart pounding against his ribs, Ailill finally felt his control slipping, his body unable to hold out any longer against this onslaught of pleasure. The liquid heat pooling inside him was demanding more friction, more sliding into that right spot, more heavy contact, just _more_.

"Please... more..."

"More...?"

Averey put his hands under Ailill's knees, lifting them up over his shoulders to get the deepest angle possible.

Then he _pushed_ inside as hard as he could, wrenching a broken cry from Ailill.

"Aa_aah_! More," he begged again.

"Please..."

Avey cursed in a language that Ailill had definitely never heard, before his hips began snapping hard into the young man's.

And Ailill _screamed_ when Averey's cock found the best spot in this new angle, his vision greying out at the edges.

"_Yes_!"

He could _feel_ Avey's cock throbbing inside him, every time Averey slowed down at the end of a thrust and just before he pulled back to start a new one. It was the hottest, most delicious feeling, and Ailill knew the stranger had to be close as well...

Then Averey _growled_, and the sound of him losing his composure after so long set Ailill off further. The tease of orgasm fluttered through his insides, ready to be coaxed out at any moment. Avey's thrusts were _brutal_ now but Ailill needed every bit of the pressure as the stranger's body rocked into his own.

Ailill's hands fisted tightly in the sheets to resist the urge to grab his cock, trying in vain to last a little longer... but then Averey had let go of one of his knees and was grabbing it himself, squeezing hard in just the right way.

"Haa_aaah_!"

Ailill couldn't be embarrassed any more at the reediness of his voice or how raw and debauched he must sound, because after just seconds of Averey tugging on him his release pounded through him like a stampede of horses. Body jerking uncontrollably, his cock spurting hot cum everywhere, god he dimly hoped he hadn't gotten anything on the books but he couldn't do anything about it now.

Then he heard Averey moaning loudly above him and realized he was cumming too... inside.

Ailill's heart skipped a beat as he watched the pleasure on the gorgeous stranger's face, watching his bright eyes close as he shuddered through the waves of his climax.

Avey was _so_ beautiful... Ailill gasped through aftershocks, feeling Averey twitch inside of him.

He shivered and involuntarily gave his bottom lip a soft bite.

"Mmm... wow," was all Ailill could say.

Averey's breathless laugh rumbled against his hair as the tall man leaned down against him, sagging with muscles gone limp.

Ailill liked feeling the heat of the stranger's neck so close now. He leaned in to kiss it, as a sheaf of that luxurious black hair tumbled onto his face. He didn't move away from it.

"Wow yourself," Averey replied with a whuff of laughter.

"That was... amazing."

Then he pulled out, making them both groan again from the twisting, delicate agony of separation after penetration.

"Yeah."

Ailill was grinning, feeling utterly content and boneless now that he'd flopped back onto the pallet, still taking deep breaths to calm his heartbeat.

"Don't think I need t'move anywhere for several hours."

Averey snorted.

"Suit yourself, but I have to piss."

And he stood up, pulling his clothes on without total accuracy and then going to do just that.

Ailill laid there, trying to summon some sort of will to make himself decent but... he couldn't. He was so well-fucked that he was already slightly sore in places, and his body was retaliating now by demanding _rest_.

The heaviness of his limbs and eyelids came on so suddenly that he was nearly frightened by it. But he couldn't summon any real fear whatsoever after an orgasm that powerful...

Sleep overtook him instantly.

\--

When Averey returned to the lean-to after pissing for what felt like a full year, he was almost disappointed to find that Ailill had passed out.

The human just looked so cozy in his sudden sex coma, and Averey wanted to hold him close and lay down and spend the night-- no, what in Mab's name was he thinking?

He'd never been able to spend the night, and now it was just easier to leave.

So... why were his feet not wanting to move? Why did he instead sit back down on the pallet to stroke the human's hair?

_Don't get attached, Averey_, he heard Brucie's warning voice in the Fae tongue echo in his mind, and sighed.

"The hell do you know, Brucie," he muttered in their language.

"Well I never. I finally track you here and that's the first you have t'say to me?"

Averey nearly jumped out of his skin, turning his head to see his friend standing not five feet from him.

"How long've you been there?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Averey realized he was extremely thirsty as the fae wine was now hitting his organs.

"I just got here. But... you're done now, right? We should really go, it'll be dawn soon," Brucie pointed out.

"Sure. Just... I need a drink. Water," Averey croaked, standing up but still looking down at Ailill's sleeping face.

That face that had only minutes ago been staring at him like nothing else mattered, eyes shining in the moonlight, saying his name in a way that made his insides snap in a heated rush--

"Averey? Hello?"

Brucie was offering him a flask of water.

Taking it and draining most of it, Averey sighed and felt a bit better.

"Guess I'm ready to go now."

"Good."

Brucie blew out the candles Ailill had lit earlier, shrouding them in moonlight and darkness.

\--

Ailill dreamed of men speaking in a complex, fast language he could not understand. He dreamed of dark hair, and sparkling eyes, and he never wanted to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Gaelic translations according to Google, in order of appearance:  
*literally "health", a drinking toast.  
**"thanks", literally "may good be at you"
> 
> I am actually Irish by blood and a smidge of culture, but I'm truly sorry if I've butchered anything so far. I do live in America so any feedback on the accuracy or general feel of all this is much appreciated. I did reference "Reel Around the Sun" which is from Riverdance 1995 by Bill Whelan so obviously, not an ancient tune lol but I think something similar probably existed, right? 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gaelic translations will be at the end of each chapter for now. If you have a suggestion for better formatting please let me know in the comments.
> 
> Please don't take this as any sort of canon on any type of faerie mythology except possibly Artemis Fowl, I'm making this entirely up as I go. (On the NaNo website they call it "pantsing".)
> 
> TW sui mention (of faes in general)

Averey awoke slowly to the sound of someone rummaging around his place. He smelled cofaidh* being brewed and rolled over, suspecting it was Aoifa.

"Bràthair**, are you awake in there?" came her voice.

Averey groaned as his suspicion was proved correct and clutched his spinning head. He tried opening his eyes but immediate dizzines made him shut them again.

_Damn that fae wine._

"Barely..."

"Well come on out for a hot cup," she called.

"I'll slice up some nut cheese for you, got some special festival variety at the market yesterday. It's got dried tomatoes in it, I think."

"No thanks."

Aoifa strode into his bedroom and sighed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Averey, I know you had fae wine last night, Brucie was bragging to me about scoring some yesterday like I was going to be impressed."

"Then you know why I don't want to get out of bed, Aoifa."

"Uh-uh."

Aoifa shook her head.

"I know you can magic that hangover away. So what's the real reason you're wallowing?"

"Maybe I don't want to remember last night," Averey replied, too candidly.

His younger sister's eyebrows shot up, not that he noticed with his eyes still closed.

"...You... no, you didn't. You didn't go topside again, did you Bràthair?"

"..."

Averey didn't answer, hiding his face with the blanket to shield himself from the light streaming in from the hallway.

"You _did_!"

She had been just mildly irritated before. Now she was livid with real anger, wrists tensing as her fists clenched.

"Averey Grey, I cannot _believe_ you! Well, that's not true-- I can, but I'm incredibly disappointed. You broke your promise to me, your own sister! You _promised_ you'd never let Brucie talk you into that dangerous game again. What if you'd been caught? You risked everything we have here, just to get your rocks off. Your actions don't just affect _you_, you know. I _thought_ you'd learned that lesson but apparently not yet."

Averey had nothing to say in defense of himself... it was all true. He _had_ promised her it would never happen again, and, here they were.

Aoifa had been pacing angrily around his bedroom, but now she stood perfectly still for a moment, then sighed in defeat. Making her look like that, always made Averey feel like shit. Why did he do this?

"Well I hope it was worth it_. _ I hope it was worth destroying my trust in you once again, little bràthair. I hope it was worth prison, worth being declared an enemy of the Fae. If you ever get caught, Averey, you're on your own. I _won't_ bail you out before trial and hire you a Representative, not this time," she forced out through gritted teeth, storming out of the apartment without so much as a goodbye.

Averey twitched when he heard the door slam.

He was used to this kind of behavior from her by now though and merely rolled over, falling asleep again quickly.

Hours later he woke up to the acrid scent of burnt cofaidh filling his apartment. Aoifa hadn't turned off the Warming spell when she'd left, apparently...

Averey finally cast an anti-hangover spell on himself to dispel the nausea rising at the terrible smell, then tottered out of bed to discover a thick sludge in the bottom of the carafe that was beginning to smoke.

"Ugh..."

He made a face at the mess and cast off the spell that had kept the coffee piping hot, waving his hand in a vain effort to dispel the stench.

One of the worst things by far about living Underground was having no way to open a window and clear out your living space with a fresh breeze.

He wondered if perhaps Aoifa had done that on purpose. To remind Averey that not everyone got to take the risks he did... and she would have a point there.

But knowing his sister, she'd just genuinely forgotten. He couldn't even be mad at her for that, not when he already felt guilty for going topside when he'd promised her he was done with all of that. He made a vow to himself that he would make things up to her somehow.

Averey washed out the carafe and lit a candle in the kitchen. Hearing a knock at the door, he answered to find Brucie grinning at him.

"He~ey, how are you doing? Wasn't last night fun?"

"Brucie, honestly-- you're going to get us in trouble, being so brazen. Aoifa already gave me an earful."

"Oh, you're no fun. It's just that-- I heard about another you-know-what in that area coming up," Brucie said, his eyes dancing.

Then he took a deep breath to continue, and his face withered in disgust.

"Eaugh, I was going to ask to come in but it seems you've made some horrible mistake in there so, nevermind. I can't tell you the details just yet anyway, but in a few weeks I'll have them."

Averey was too shocked to even be offended at the jab about the bad odor.

"A few weeks? But that's--"

"So soon, I know," Brucie said, grinning.

"But isn't it _exciting_ Averey? Now we can go _back_, instead of going somewhere new again. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Averey swallowed hard, knowing exactly who he'd like to go back to.

But... this was _dangerous_.

"This is dangerous," he repeated aloud in a low, agitated voice, and Brucie pouted.

"Avereyyyy..."

"No, Brucie, not this time. We have rules, remember? And one of them is making sure that we never visit the same half-century twice no matter what. That way we can't get charged with Intent to Develop Relations. You know that."

It didn't matter that they were the only ones standing on this part of the burrow, and that his burrow was the last one on the edge of town; Averey still felt like their conversations were being monitored somehow.

Listening devices in civilian homes had been decreed illegal but the secret Council subcommittees had still been accused of leaving up old listening devices and even recycling returned ones into illegal use. So it was very much a real fear to have.

"You'll change your mind in a few weeks," Brucie teased, and Averey did not like what his friend was insinuating one bit.

"No, I will not. Brucie, this is a _bad idea_."

"Yes, and I saw how you were looking at that pretty redhead," Brucie said knowingly.

Averey's mouth went dry, and he croaked out "What difference did this time make? They're all the same."

He nearly choked on the words. He certainly didn't mean them this time... when exactly had that changed?

"Oh, Avey."

Brucie was sounding almost like he... _pitied_ Averey.

"I've never seen you look so fondly at a wee human before."

Averey suddenly felt heat pricking at his eyes, and he swallowed hard around a lump in his throat. What was happening to him? He felt strangled. Like he couldn't get a decent breath of air in.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Perhaps I don't," Brucie said cryptically, attempting to size him up in a way Averey did not at all appreciate.

"But either way... I have a feeling you'll be interested in hearing what I've got to say, in a few weeks."

"Fine, come by then. I don't care. Is that all?" Averey asked, irritated and not bothering to stop the impatience clipping his words.

"Yes, in fact, it is. Goodbye Avey," Brucie said, turning on his heel with a flourish and walking away before Averey could respond-- and somehow that made him madder as he closed the door.

"Up yours Brucie," he snarled as soon as it clicked shut, and then was taken aback by the venom with which he'd just spoken.

Brucie was without a doubt his closest friend... why was he so ready to just say something nasty like that as soon as he was out of earshot? What was wrong with him??

"I need some air," he muttered to no one in particular, going back into his bedroom to get dressed.

Normally he wouldn't go out without showering first but, even after the hangover spell nausea was faintly gripping his insides from the lingering burnt cofaidh aroma combining badly with his adrenaline rush from talking to Brucie and unexpectedly losing his temper.

So he quickly dressed his dirty body in clean clothes and left his apartment, only barely remembering to blow the candle out in the kitchen first. Fires were now the second leading cause of fae deaths, in the Underground-- the first, of course, was suicide.

To attempt to combat the depression and anxiety caused to the fae from living Underground with no sun, the Council had ordered the best fae engineers to create "Green Spaces". They had also used this as a reason to hike up taxes on fae workers, justifying it by saying they were raising everyone's quality of life.

That was extremely debatable when most fae shared these spaces with thousands of others while the richest had their own private BubbleParks each to themselves, guarded by their private security at all hours to prevent anyone else from getting in.

Plus they were not so much spaces as caves. But they were certainly green. Each one contained many trees, mostly pines but a few deciduous varieties also to provide a visually appealing color change for the seasons. Some of the parks contained water features, but the one in this lower-income neighborhood did not.

A large sign instructed Averey to take off his shoes and place them in one of the cubbies on a large shelf provided at the entrance. He stepped into the BubblePark's airlock door system and then out into the park, grass tickling his bare toes. Averey took a deep breath of _fresh_ air, instantly feeling better.

Even though they were still Underground and couldn't see the sun, these plants received enough fae magic to respirate and produce chlorophyll on their own. Thus the oxygen they released was pure and soothing to the system. And the glamour on these BubbleParks meant that looking up, you were tricked into seeing a clear blue sky, or a beautiful sunset, or even some gloomy clouds just to change things up sometimes. Of course everyone knew it wasn't real, but... it was still nice to pretend.

Sighing contentedly, Averey meandered along the carefully manicured lawn, nodding and smiling politely to the other few dozen fae who were gathering there for the same reason he was. Privacy in the close quarters of the Underground was hard to come by, another reason that going topside had such appeal.

Everyone was keeping their distance though, equally politely, and Averey wished he had showered first despite the nausea. Well, he wouldn't linger.

In fact he was just thinking he had cleared his head enough to be leaving when he heard someone calling his name.  
  
"Avey! Is that you?"

Averey turned around and to his horror, his ex-boyfriend was striding up to him with a grin splitting his smug face.

"Oh it _is_ you Avey, it's so good to _see_ you!"

That smile. So sweet, yet also menacing.

"Cassius," Averey said, his throat feeling tight around the name he hadn't spoken aloud in months now.

"Avey Avey _Avey_. Give me a hug," came the fond-toned demand as Cassius pulled him close into a hug immediately after saying the words.

"Phew, Avey, you need a wash."

"Yeah I-- burnt coffee in my place this morning, it made me feel ill and I just came out here to-- get some fresh air."

"Oh you poor dear! D'you want to come over to my place for a bit? This place is a bit crowded," Cassius said, and suddenly Averey took a step back.

"Cassius. Did you... follow me here?"

"Did I follow you here, don't be ridiculous," Cassius chuckled, his hollow laugh making Averey's stomach sink like a stone.

Cassius always laughed like that when he was lying.

"What do you want, Cassius," he hissed, eyes flashing in anger.

"Oh, don't be so _dramatic_."

Finally, the pseudo-affectionate air had been dropped, and Cassius pouted at Averey.

"Look, the truth is... I need a favor."

"And why on Mab's green Earth would I do a favor for _you_?" Averey asked nastily, his insides still roiling with anger at the boldness of Cassius to come up and lie to him.

Again.

"Because I know what you did last night topside," Cassius hissed, giving Averey his best cat-that-got-the-cream smile at the end of his words.

_Mab's foot,_ Averey thought to himself. _Is he bluffing, or does he really know_?

The thing was, by this point Averey and Brucie had a bit of a... _reputation_ for being topsiders. But there was a distinct possibility Cassius was actually attempting to extort him rather than just intimidate him for fun. Only one way to find out of course.

Averey gave a bitter laugh.

"Does that line work on all ex-cons, or are you testing it out brand new on me?"

"Nah Avey, it's not a _line_, it's a _fact_," Cassius said coolly, eyes darting around to make sure no one else was in earshot before continuing.

"You and Brucie went topside last night for Imbolc, and I can prove it."

And from the way the other fae was grinning, Averey was beginning to realize they'd been caught.

\--

Ailill yawned and smacked his lips as he woke up, sniffing and making an offended noise as he realized the foul odor was coming from his own body.

"Eaugh!"

When he cracked a crusted eyelid open he saw the late afternoon sun streaming through the tiny window in the hut.

Cursing, he realized that the day had gotten away from him while he'd slept off his hangover. Ailill stretched, his limbs stiff and sore.

And he was sore in... other ways, too... his stomach squirmed a little with the memories, or was it nausea?

Both, likely.

But the beautiful stranger was gone. Ailill sighed in bitter disappointment of another rejection.

Yet again, he'd been tricked into thinking someone cared about him who clearly didn't. Couldn't even be bothered to stick around til morning and say a proper goodbye. And yet, something in his gut told him Averey being a wham-bam-thank-you type wasn't the real answer.

After Ailill had relieved himself and washed up he was feeling better. As he chomped down an apple for breakfast and washed it down with water he started to remember more of the evening prior.

Including a conversation between the stranger Averey and the other one... Brucie...? Where Averey had almost seemed... reluctant to leave.

Ailill had been half asleep at the time and didn't understand a word they were saying, but Averey's fingers in his hair had felt... very nice. And the stranger hadn't gotten up right away, even after his friend had been speaking with hushed urgency.

That, to Ailill, meant that perhaps the attraction he'd felt had been mutual. But that he was obligated to leave with Brucie. Who just so happened to look almost exactly like him, in terms of sheer beauty. And they were leaving before the dawn, a classic move of supernatural tricksters.

Which meant...

"...I think I just bedded a fae," Ailill whispered to himself, shocked to be forming those words.

\--

Averey was at Aoifa's place, knocking.

She wasn't answering.

"Aoifa? It's me, Avey. Please, can we talk? I'm sorry for earlier..."

Still no answer.

Averey sighed, leaning against the door and rattling the knob unsuccessfully.

"C'mon, Aoifa... I know you're in there."

He didn't really, but somehow the thought of not knowing where his older sister was right now was too much to deal with and so he just told himself she was in there.

Lucky for him, he was right. But she still didn't answer.

"I'm sorry, Aoifa," he tried again... nothing.

"Please, Deirfiúr mhór,*** I'll do anything to make things up to you. I'm sorry."

Nothing.

Averey eventually sat with his back against the door, letting his face fall into his hands.

"I don't know why I thought I could get away with this," he said miserably, talking more to himself than his sister.

"I was selfish for going topside. Now Cassius has found out and is extorting me like he used to back when we were together. Such a mess I'm in, all because I got randy again."

Suddenly the door opened behind him and he nearly fell backwards, tensing.

"You said what about that bastard Cassius, now?"

Aoifa stood over him, eyes blazing in anger. If there was one person in the world she truly hated, it was Cassius, for what he'd done to their family-- especially to Averey.

"He knows I went topside, Aoifa."

"Shh! Inside," she hissed, dragging him by the collar.

\--

Ailill had been eyed jealously by several people of multiple genders today at market, and he couldn't help beaming.

For once, _he_ was the one who had the tale that was becoming town gossip among his peers and friends and old classmates, the details spreading like wildfire through the small village. And though he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, he was going to choose to enjoy the attention for now.

At last he saw his friend Niamh and hugged her excitedly, laughing at the grin across her face.

"Tell. Me. Everything!" she cried, tugging him away from the main thoroughfare.

They walked hand in hand in companionable platonic intimacy, as they'd done since they were young. Neither one had any siblings, so they'd found solace in each other instead.

"Oh, Niamh, he's _perfect_," he sighed, sagging against a tree for dramatic emphasis.

Niamh snorted with laughter.

"I know _that_, I have eyes," she retorted, and Ailill stuck out his tongue at her which made her laugh again.

"I meant, tell me how he was in bed," she said while waggling her eyebrows.

Ailill flushed crimson.

"You've never asked me that before!"

"Well you didn't bed someone rumored to be a _fae_ before," Niamh said, her eyes dancing with curiosity.

"D'you think he was really a fae?" she asked suddenly, and Ailill dropped her hand in surprise.

"I-- what?"

"Oh don't play daft! You had to have suspected at least a little," Niamh teased, and Ailill chewed his lip to stall before responding.

"Maybe a bit... but it doesn't matter either way," he said sadly, as the truth finally sank in.

"He's never coming back here. I finally meet someone into me, and he literally vanishes overnight."

"Oh, Aili," Niamh crooned soothingly, patting her friend's back in her best effort to be consoling.

"It was just a bit of fun on Imbolc, hey? And you'll find someone better."

"No, I probably won't. That's kind of the whole reason I'm low about it," Ailill said, with a strained laugh.

"Fae or not, that was the best I've ever had, and 'e's just... _gone_... how am I supposed to move on?"

"Enjoy it for what it was as a memory, but don't compare other sexual experiences to it?"

"Easier said than done, Niamh..."

Ailill sighed.

"But you're right."

"Of course I am. You're welcome," Niamh said gently, holding out her hand.

And Ailill took it, grateful to have such a close and understanding friend.

\--

Aoifa and Averey sat together at the table in her kitchen, gripping their hot mugs of tea tightly and not speaking for a long while.

"Should I still go to work, then?" he asked eventually, feeling... lost.

But if today had been an ordinary day, he would be working in three hours.

Aoifa narrowed her eyes.

"And do what that creep Cassius asked you to? Of course not. Don't play into his little games, bràthair."

"But what if I get fired for not showing up? I don't have a good excuse."

"Yes you do. I'll go tell your boss right now."

"Aoifa, I--"

"I insist, Averey, let me do this for you," she said in a tone that brooked no argument.

"You are _ not _ going to risk doing what Cassius wants."

"But Aoifa, what-- what if Cassius really has evidence of me going topside again?" he whispered anxiously, taking his sister's hand.

Or trying to, because she was standing up and pulling away from him.

"All the more reason for me to see your employer now," Aoifa insisted, and left Averey's apartment with him sitting there gaping after her for a minute too long.

By the time he was calling her name down the street she was gone.

\--

Ailill and Niamh were stargazing, their favorite night activity to do in the late winter weather when the skies were crisp and clear. It was cool, so bundling up against exposure also meant insulation from the hard ground.

They had spent all day together today, snacking from various food stalls at the market and then flopping down in the field to nap and now stargaze.

It was still the festival, after all... but tomorrow most things would start going back to the normal grind. Niamh would return to her seamstress job and Ailill would return to being a farmhand. They were both so busy nowadays that these quarterly festivals-- the Solstices, Imbolc and Beltane-- were just about the only times they'd gotten to catch up the past couple of years.

"Aili."

"Hmm."

"What do you think? I know you entertained everyone who came up t'you today, that he might've been a fae. But what do _ you _ think?"

"Niamh--"

"I know, I know, that's a personal question. But I'm nosey and I want to know."

"..I..."

Ailill considered it, and found he had more difficulty breathing than anticipated.

"I, um. Thinkhemightbeone," he said in a rush of tumbled syllables bumping into one another, but Niamh had understood well enough for her eyebrows to rush up almost into her hair.

"You _ do_! Oh Ailill, that's amazing for you! I mean, I understand why you're upset but goodness think of the story you can tell. You'll have the best one yet!"

"...Is that what I'm supposed to want?" Ailill asked, his voice suddenly gone hollow.

"Am I supposed to want someone just because they're fae? Just because they have fae magic to be... extra seductive, or something?"

"But you _ did _ like him, didn't you?"

The question caught him off guard. Yes, of course he'd liked the stranger. But, they barely knew each other! The only reason they'd hooked up was because Ailill was drunk and horny, something that had been happening every time he drank for months now due to a lack of sexual attention in this village.

But he couldn't help feeling like that Avey character had... really _ wanted _ to be here. With him, specifically. That they'd met organically but their chemistry had been destined.

It was a heady feeling, and not one he was going to entertain right now.

"Can we change the subject?"

"...All right, Aili, I'm sorry," Niamh murmured, in such a genuinely contrite way that Ailill felt his insides twist in guilt.

"Niamh I'm not upset at you, just... at what happened. You know that, right? I love you."

"I love you too Aili."

\--

Late that night, back at his own abode, Averey laid in bed and cursed himself for what his reckless desires had allowed to happen.

Cassius had the upper hand, and despite Aoifa's efforts he'd lost his job for not going in today and not being able to give a valid excuse.

"Your sister's story was obviously fake," they said when he'd showed up at closing time to ask if he still had a job.

"You couldn't have possibly gone topside without it being in the news, so all that nonsense about Cassius was just attempted character assassination on her part. It didn't work."

Averey smiled a little, remembering. He wasn't planning on telling Aoifa about that particular detail... she'd been _ very _pleased with herself on her return and he didn't want to take that away from her. She'd still helped to the best of her ability and that's all he could ask her for.

It still sucked being officially fired, though. Of course, not having a job was far preferable to being in fae prison for going topside but, that was still a hard truth to swallow right now.

Tomorrow he'd have go to to the Unemployment Burrow and see what work he could do on short notice, so that he wouldn't lose his place by next month. Of course there was always plenty available so he wasn't worried, just embarrassed to have to go there again this year. Aoifa had already offered for him to stay with her if he wanted to take some time off, but he knew that when Finn returned next week from his research work in the Deeps that it'd be too awkward for him as a third wheel.

As his mind went over the thoughts of the day, and last night... he remembered how Aoifa had said "I hope it was worth it" this morning.

She had meant it to be condescending, but as Averey closed his eyes and thought of Ailill, it wasn't a difficult thing to admit.

The fae was certainly used to being adored by humans... he'd had nearly a dozen, by now. All pretty and needy and enjoyable in their own rights.

But something about this one, and his perfect little red curls, and his freckles, and the way he'd breathed the fae's name. How he'd been so... surprised that Averey was even interested in his pleasure at all.

As if he'd never had someone to give him pleasure like that before. It nearly broke Averey's heart to think about someone as sweet as Ailill not getting the romantic and sexual attention he deserved in the human world. And though it was terrifying even as a fleeting thought, Avery wanted to be the one to give Ailill all the attention he could.

The forbidden desire to hold and kiss Ailill again took hold: Averey swallowed guiltily as he indulged in the memories, using them to help him drift off to sleep.

_It was worth it_.

\--

Ailill was sleeping out in the hut again tonight.

As the waning moon shone just a little less bright in the sky, he looked up at the stars he could see through the window and sighed in loneliness, and bitter disappointment.

He knew that he was well loved and taken care of here. He couldn't imagine living anywhere else in the world than right here in this village, among his friends and extended family.

But just for a moment last night, he'd felt... like someone really _wanted_ him as more than a friend. Wanted _him_, not just anyone. And Ailill was having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that that someone was gone now, and would never be coming back ever.

In the silence of the woods, in the privacy of this hut he'd carved from dead trees with patience and love, Ailill wept.

_Damn you, Averey, you perfect fae. Or whoever you are. Damn you for giving me a taste of something I'll never get again_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gaelic translations from the internet, in order of appearance:
> 
> *Coffee  
**Brother  
***Big Sister
> 
> https://thegeekygaeilgeoir.wordpress.com/2017/08/24/big-sisters-big-mistake/
> 
> Please comment if you want me to include name pronunciation guides in the notes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, I've been SUPER sick with that nasty RSV that's been going around. Here's the next bit that I partially wrote in my fever deliriums!

Averey threw himself into finding a new job, and within a week he'd been hired on at one of the root vegetable farms.

It was long hours but good pay; he got an hour break to eat a free meal the farmer's wife made for them daily and never had to work past his scheduled shift. It was honest work considering many of the corrupt "businesses" that existed Underground nowadays.

And Averey's muscles were getting more toned than they'd been in years so, that was an added bonus.

He'd been so exhausted from long shifts on the farm that it had severely affected what little social life he had, so when Brucie knocked on the door he was pleasantly surprised to see his friend at first.

"Hey, Bruce, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

He was running on post-work(out) endorphins still, feeling pretty amazing. But he suspected something when Brucie giggled, hiding his face.

"Oh you, so good at playing coy. Come on, let's talk inside."

Averey let him in and offered his friend a drink, going over to get himself some water.

"I'm fine thanks. Avey, you... you _do_ know why I'm here today, right?" Brucie asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Because you wanted to pop in and see your best friend?" Averey asked this with his back to Brucie as he poured water from the jug into a glass.

"Oh my god. Have you really forgotten already? I'm here to tell you about going up again!"

Averey clutched the edge of the counter as the words finally sank in; now he remembered their brief conversation from weeks ago.

"...Brucie. I said no."

"But you do _want_ to see that pretty human again, don't you?"

Averey swallowed, and couldn't deny that Ailill had been... heavily featured in his dreams and masturbatory fantasies as of late. Pretty much exclusively, in fact.

Working all day at the farm left him alone with his thoughts too, and he'd be damned to deny that he thought of Ailill often, wondering what he was up to and who he was with and how he was feeling.

He knew that this was wrong. First of all it was wrong for his own selfish safety in the Underground, but... it was also wrong to Ailill.

Averey had taken advantage of a young, drunk human just to play with them, and now he was fantasizing about doing it again. What the fuck was wrong with him?

Nevermind that the way he wanted to hold and caress Ailill wasn't in a carnal, lust-driven way... it was something Averey wasn't familiar with. Something deeper than what he usually felt for humans, or most fae too for that matter. Something that gnawed at his heart and made him anxious about wanting to know where Ailill was and if he was well and safe.

Averey had to tell himself that this was wrong, so he'd stop entertaining the ludicrous idea that he and Ailill could actually _be_ together, if Ailill even wanted that at all...

And Brucie wasn't helping.

"Averey, c'mon," he wheedled, into the silence left by his friend.

"You know you want to see him again, so why don't we? Why deny yourself...?"

"Brucie--"

"Avey, why are you denying yourself happiness? Do you really want the Underground to crush every last bit of passion out of us?"

Averey finally turned around, irritated as he faced his friend.

"For Mab's sake Brucie, that's laying it on thick. What about Aoifa? She only forgave me because of what Cassius threatened me with when he found out about us. Oh yeah, and _that_ wanker is apparently tracking us so it's _really_ not a good idea."

"Averey..."

Brucie's voice had gone uncharacteristically quiet and serious as he looked into his friend's eyes.

"I promise you, Cassius won't find out this time."

"And how can you promise that, Brucie?"

"Because we're not going to use a lift."

Brucie's eyes were glittering, now, and Averey was confused.

"What do you mean, 'not going to use a lift'? How else would we get up there, Brucie?"

"I found some, Averey," Brucie said, almost breathlessly.

"No one knows about them. They go all the way to... well, _you _know."

"What...? Wait... you can't mean--"

"Don't say it," Brucie whispered quickly, rushing his finger to touch Averey's lips, silencing him.

"They're always listening, love, we've got to be careful. But yes, I do mean. I've _seen _them, Avey, and we can go together as soon as you like."

Averey was dumbstruck, even when Brucie lowered his finger.

_Stairs_. Brucie had found _stairs_.

When they were younglings, Brucie had gone on and on and _on_ about stairs. How they were built by the Ancients, how they had been the primary way of traveling topside before the lifts were invented. How the Echelon had destroyed them or blocked them all off...

But there were rumors that they hadn't found all of the staircases, since some of them had been hidden even before the fae went Underground. Brucie would spout off all sorts of stories about faes from Tír na nÓg who had used stairs to get out of sticky situations with humans and other magical creatures.

And Averey had humored his friend, for the fantasy alleviated some of the feeling of being trapped in the Underground. Sharing that belief, even grudgingly, had helped get them through some tough times to be sure. He watched Brucie draw hundreds of pictures of stairs, always doing the spiral the same way-- up.

As soon as they were old enough to really consider going topside though, he'd grown impatient with all the wildly unsuccessful hunts for stairs that Brucie took him on at first... and that's when he got into catching the lifts illegally.

Though dangerous, it was _much_ faster than stairs ever could have been, and that was part of the thrill of course. And back then there hadn't been as much crackdown on lift usage. They'd gotten away with it for _years_ before his first arrest, and for years before the second.

As he'd gotten older Averey had believed in the myth of stairs less and less. He began to grow more and more frustrated with Brucie for holding steadfast to his childhood fantasy, especially after the two of them got prison records. They'd even stopped speaking for almost six months over it, years ago.

But Brucie, it seemed, had never given up on finding stairs in spite of Averey's stubbornness.

And now his friend was looking at Averey like they were younglings again, making his heart beat fast in his chest.

This... this changed everything.

\--

Four weeks after Imbolc, the spring had arrived. It was wet and muddy absolutely everywhere, but living things were growing and flourishing. Lambs, crocuses and daffodils, baby chicks, the whole lot.

Ailill had been very busy with tilling the fields and planting, often so tired that he'd go right to sleep upon getting home. After a winter spent mostly holed up indoors, his muscles were coming back from the intense work. He was feeling good, ready for the warm weather to return.

But his dreams were full of that damned fae, and sometimes he woke up gasping and hard, tugging at himself in desperation before he was fully alert and cumming before he could feel any regrets about it, though he often did after.

He was trying his best to forget Averey, but it just wasn't happening.

When an old tarot-reader had come through town, Niamh had wanted a reading so they'd gone together.

And to Ailill's dismay, the reader had pulled The Magician for him.

The card of transformative magics, of manifesting, of ethereal power.

Could there _be_ another tarot card so aptly fit to describe a fae? Ailill didn't think so.

Of course Niamh had seen the way his face had gone pale in the reading, and pulled him aside after.

"Aili, you don't think that Magician card--"

"It's nothing. Those tarot readings are never accurate anyway," Ailill said grumpily.

Nevermind that the tarot-reader had accurately predicted pregnancies, stillbirths, injuries and weddings before in this village...

"But what if it is? What if he's coming back?" Niamh said, tugging excitedly at Ailill's sleeve.

"Maybe you'll convince them all to live aboveground again," she added with a grin.

"Oh come on Niamh don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not," she said, shaking her head.

"I just... wonder if maybe a human and a fae fallin' in love might bring the two peoples together again. Like in the old days, what's we're told as stories now. Maybe those stories could be real again," she finished, her voice soft and sad.

Ailill admittedly hadn't thought about things like that. He paused, considering.

"Well... if he _did_ come back, I'd certainly be happy to see him," he said eventually.

"But love? I don't even think a fae _can_ love, Niamh."

"Then you'll be the first!" Niamh teased, and Ailill stuck his tongue out.

On the inside, however, his stomach was doing little giddy flips thinking about the possibility that Averey might return... that the tarot-reader had been right after all. He'd just have to wait and find out.

That night Ailill decided to sleep out in the lean-to again. It was a windy and rainy night, and the hut wasn't exactly waterproof because Ailill's roofing skills were lacking. One of his books was ruined because he'd forgotten to wrap it and it was on the wet floor for hours, a real shame.

But his friend's and the tarot-reader's words bounced around inside him excitedly and he wanted to be calmed by the drumming of rain on the roof, something he couldn't hear at his shared housing where his room was on the lower floor.

He settled into the corner of the lean-to, shivering a little and sighing. He'd stripped off his wet clothes and was now wrapped up in mostly-dry blankets. After dozing off listening to the rain for a while, he finally stirred enough to blow out his candles, falling asleep properly in the darkness.

And Ailill dreamed...

He was dreaming about Averey again. They were here in the lean-to, kissing and touching... Ailill could almost really feel the fae's fingers in his hair.

He could almost smell an earthy musk that definitely wasn't coming from the forest around him, or the lean-to.

Almost as if--

Wait.

Ailill stirred, blinking his eyes open in the candlelight.

"Whuzzappening...?"

The candles were lit again, but no one was here. Ailill _knew _he'd blown them out before going to sleep... narrowing his eyes, he sat up and listened.

It had stopped raining; the woods were quiet and still.

"Averey," Ailill breathed, drawing his knees to his chest.

But there was nothing. Not even a twig snapping. Eventually Ailill grew tired of holding himself so tense.

Maybe he had forgotten to blow out the candles after all and had just fallen asleep with them still lit...

Because it wasn't possible, what his mind whispered had perhaps happened.

So Ailill sighed in frustration and blew out the candles again before laying back down.

\--

Averey had panicked, Fading the moment Ailill woke. But he was there in the lean-to, and he watched Ailill spin his head wildly around, his chest wrenching with longing as Ailill raked a hand through the curls he'd just been gently touching. Clearly, it had been a mistake even coming this close to him.

_I'm so sorry, Ailill._

If the human had reached out his hand just a bit further out, he would have touched where Averey was sitting stock-still on the edge of the bed...

"Averey," he heard the human exhale, and he nearly shivered, his whole body tensing against his desire.

He wanted _so badly_ to take off the Fade, to hold Ailill in his arms, to kiss him until the sun came up...

But he had made Brucie _promise_ that this was just a reconnaissance mission, to make sure that the stairs were safe. That meant no humans seeing them this time, so that the Echelon that routinely patrolled human areas nearby lifts (with glamours on of course) wouldn't be able to tell any fae had been here tonight.

So Averey waited, scarcely breathing, until Ailill gave an irritated sigh and blew out the candles once more, going back to sleep.

He waited until the human's breathing was even and deep before daring to stand up, feeling his muscles burning with the prickling pins-and-needles sensation from being held too tight for too long.

He was still Faded, and before he could bring himself to leave the lean-to he looked back, feeling a pang of regret so strong that he couldn't help whispering:

"I will come back to you, Ailill. You have my word."

Then he stole away into the night, joining back up with Brucie.

His friend saw the crushing disappointment on his countenance when they reunited close to the staircase's topside entrance, and gave Averey a gentle hug before they started the long trek down the ancient earth and stone steps.

This certainly was far worse than a lift... but if this worked it would also be undetectable, which alone made it worth the mold, and damp, and occasional huge cobwebs that they had to break up with sticks to get through, and the constant pitch darkness spiraling down and down for thousands of steps.

"There there, love," Brucie said, rubbing Averey's back consolingly for a moment as they walked down side by side-- the stairs were only _just _wide enough for the two fae to do it. They chatted the whole way down until they got close to the exit, because otherwise the journey would be unbearable.

"We'll be back, yes? Very, _very_ soon. This was your idea, may I remind you."

"I know," Averey said gruffly, not enjoying being reminded of that right now when he had been close enough to _smell_ Ailill and feel the warmth radiating off him...

"It was hard for me to resist touching those tasty little humans too," Brucie cooed, and Averey recoiled from the infantilizing language.

Too many fae still judged humans as they'd judge younglings -- as not properly developed.

"Come on Brucie. If we're going to be doing this more often we've got to drop that kind of attitude, yeah?"

Though he didn't want to admit that his sentiment nearly echoed Brucie's, just with a different tone.

"Eh, you're just sweet on one of them. I'm not taking stock in your opinions on the human race at the moment," Brucie teased.

"Well you should, if we're going to be doing this more often."

Brucie grinned at his friend casually referring to doing this again when he had been so adamantly against it for years now.

"Oh we are _definitely_ going to be doing this more often, Averey, just you _wait._"

\--

"Niamh!"

Ailill yelled his friend's name from across the market, running as fast as his feet could take him to her, nearly running _into_ her in the process in his stumbling halt.

"Niamh I have something to tell you," he said, so excited he was fit to burst.

Niamh's eyes widened.

"...Did he come back?" she whispered, and Ailill's smile fell a bit.

"Oh Niamh you always spoil my surprises," he grumbled, but his friend merely giggled at the indirect admission that she had guessed correctly.

"So he did!" she squealed in surprised delight, clapping a hand over her mouth.

"Can we talk... away from here?"

Ailill felt his face heating up in embarrassment, noticing a few people looking at them from their loud conversation.

Also, he didn't want to just _announce _that a fae had been back here...

Niamh had told him stories, of people years ago being interrogated about fae presence by people claiming to be Dalriadan soldiers who were later proved never to have existed in the force.

No one could prove it of course because all this had happened so long ago now that it was barely remembered, but Niamh was one of the staunch believers that they were fae themselves, seeking information on whether or not they were being noticed by humans.

Many people in the village, while they would consider the fae tales entertaining, would snort with laughter if anyone hazarded that the fae might still be among them. Even the presence of Brucie and Averey a month ago hadn't swayed people who didn't already believe-- because, as they put it, "those men didn't do no magicks, they can't be fae. Fae-folk are too vain to resist showin' off."

Because in the old tales, that was true-- the fae were notorious for doing things like setting off festival fires or funeral pyres early, while the humans stood mystified with their torches unlit in their hands. Or the fae who was rumored to have milked a cow that a farmer was sitting in front of while standing _outside_ the barn; the sleepy farmer had rubbed at his eyes in disbelief as he watched the milk hit the pail on its own, thinking he'd gone mad. There were dozens of stories like these, all told slightly differently depending on which Elder you asked.

But Ailill wondered if the fae had changed now. If they no longer wanted to antagonize humans over trivial things, and had instead focused on building their own civilization.

Niamh's voice brought him back to the present moment.

"Ailill, did y'hear me? I said let's go to my place."

Niamh's place was a tiny little farmhouse on the edge of town, a decent walk to make.

Her father worked the land-- he specialized in herbs and flowers, rather than food-- and she and her mother ran their seamstress shop. Ailill had learned many skills from his best friend's family over the years including how to sew and do minor clothing repair, how to make thread, and how to test a soil's acidity for different plants than the farmer's hardiest crops. He'd also learned how to cook from Niamh's father, and basic carpentry from her mother-- she was the one who built all the cold frames for the gardens. Most of his childhood memories were from times spent here, from birthdays and holidays to sharing backbreaking labor together in the busy seasons.

It was an overgrown, untidy sort of place but there was a cozy feel to it.

Ivy grew all over the front of the house and up the chimney; it made the building look far more ancient than it was. Several cats roamed around free on the land, content to sleep in the dilapidated barn behind the house. A small pond out front was lousy with reeds and always peeping with some kind of frogs this time of year. The chorusing peeps that greeted them always made Ailill feel calm and peaceful.

This was the place he felt most at home in the world. Niamh's parents fondly referred to Ailill as their son since they had none of their own-- he didn't mind, as it was almost like having parents himself again.

He and Niamh had never called each other brother and sister though, because they _had_ kissed... once. On their fifteenth summer. And had decided it wasn't very interesting and that they were better off friends. Niamh had a loving family and had made Ailill part of it when he was just a wee lad. He used to spend months at a time here, but now he only visited once or twice a week.

Tugging him by the hand, Niamh led the way inside and sat them both down at the kitchen table. Her parents were still at the market; they shared a booth to sell their wares and wouldn't be back for hours. Eyes shining with excitement, Niamh squeezed her friend's hands in hers.

"Tell me _everything_!"

"Not even gonna offer me a drink?" Ailill teased, and Niamh pouted, letting go of his hands to get up.

"Oh all right. How about a hot cup then?"

"That would be lovely."

When they were both sipping their herbal tea, Ailill spoke at last.

"Niamh... have you ever been _so sure_ of somethin', but you don't have any proof?"

Niamh paused, tapping her chin as she gave it some thought.

"...There was that one time Caleb stole from me and nobody believed me... but, he ended up apologizing and givin' it back after I cried at school in front of everyone, so it worked out in the end."

"I remember that," Ailill said, chortling.

"So... that's a no, right?"

"No, because I haven't seen many things in my short life that require proof not in plain sight," Niamh said, not forgetting the topic at hand.

"What are you gettin' at Ailill, did you see the fae or not?"

"Well... that's the thing," Ailill said, looking sheepish.

"I _heard_ him, but didn't see him."

"...What...?"

"I heard his voice, but... didn't actually _see_ him with my eyes. Even though he sounded like he was right there in the lean-to with me."

"What did he say?"

"He said... he said he'd come back for me. He gave his word," Ailill said, flushing scarlet for the first time since it had happened.

In the moment, he'd scarcely let himself believe it was real, and had forced himself to go back to sleep. But now...? Now that he was telling Niamh, Ailill felt an uncontrollable grin spreading across his face. Even just as a hushed whisper, he'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Aili!"

Niamh nearly tackled him into a hug, swaying them back and forth on the bench.

"I'm so happy for you! See, I knew it! The tarot reader knew it too, that Magician card was right!"

"I know, I can't believe it," Ailill said, shaking his head in shock.

"I... I _felt_ him too, Niamh. I feel like, just before I woke up, he came back into the lean-to. I'd blown out my candles, I _know_ I did, but when I woke up I felt like he'd been there, strokin' my hair... and the candles were lit again."

Niamh's eyes widened, at that.

"So he wanted you to know he was there... why did he hide, then?"

"Mm, I'm not sure he really did want me t'know though. I think he wasn't thinking I'd wake up. I called his name at first, knowin' he was close, but there was nothing. And then, when I laid back down an' pretended to go to sleep, after a while I heard a rustling and then he spoke to me. Saying that he'd be back."

"Oooh how _romantic_," Niamh cooed, and Ailill sighed.

"Please, don't get my hopes up too much... he didn't say _when_ he was coming back. What if he means a year? Five years? Ten?"

"He already came back much sooner than the fae around here usually do," Niamh said, grinning.

And Ailill realized with a jolt that she was very right.

\--

"You two are the literal _worst_."

That was Aoifa speaking, glaring daggers at Brucie and Averey as she angrily mashed boiled potatoes with milk, salt, pepper and butter in a large pot.

They were at her place while Finn was still at work for the day, though he was due to arrive home soon and she was in the middle of cooking dinner when they'd sprung this surprise visit on her.

Averey had practically been bursting with the news. He'd thought that Aoifa would be excited at the chance to go topside herself since she had never been.

He'd thought wrong.

"You think that because you've found... _these_, that suddenly everything is gonna be all right and you won't get caught for going topside? You _will_. I won't be a part of it now just like I wasn't when we were children, and I would _appreciate_ you backing off and setting the table bràthair," she said primly, turning back to the food preparation.

"Aoifa..."

Brucie tried the wheedling tone on her and she shot him another glare.

"You can't win me over the way you do my brother," she snapped, and he pouted.

"Hmph. We're _trying_ to do something nice for you. It'll be _gorgeous_ up there in just a few more weeks."

"He's right Aoifa," Averey piped up in the middle of setting down plates, but stopped short at the withering glance his sister gave him.

"Oh, so trying to get me _imprisoned_ is a nice thing now? You can walk _right_ on out of here with that kind of talk, you two heathens. Finn is going to be home any minute now and I do _not_ need to explain what my id***t brother and his id***t friend are up to."

"What's that?" Finn called, poking his head through the door and sniffing deeply.

"Mmm, it smells delicious in here honey!"

"Hi Finn," Averey and Brucie chorused together, making the other fae smile and give a cheesy wave in return.

"Hullo boys, it's been a while."

Finn hung up his bag on the wall hook and took off his boots, and when he went to give Aoifa a kiss on the cheek in greeting he murmured in her ear "You didn't mention we were having dinner guests tonight, I would have come home earlier to help you with this."

Aoifa was torn between succumbing to her husband's affections and still trying to stab her brother and Brucie with her eyes.

"I didn't invite them," she said crisply, and Finn seemed to pick up on the fact that family drama was afoot.

It had been present their entire relationship after all. Averey would have felt bad for Finn, if he didn't see the way that he looked at his sister in such reverence, like the way he was now.

Averey wondered if this was the way he was looking at Ailill, last night.

"Ah... should I give you all some privacy then? I feel like I'm interrupting."

"No, love, stay," Aoifa said, taking her husband's hand.

"_They_ are the ones intruding, but luckily I made enough for everyone if they'd like to stay. But they'll have to wash up," she added, locking eyes with her brother and then his friend.

"Deal," Averey said, and Brucie sighed.

"Oh fine. But I want dessert, too."

"Lucky for you I picked up some candied sweet potato bites at the market today," Finn said, going back to his bag to fish them out.

"But only _after_ you do the dishes," he taunted, and Brucie stuck his tongue out in reluctant agreement.

\--

Niamh had decided to cook dinner for her parents, so that they wouldn't ask why she dipped out early on the market-- usually she assisted them with the tearing down of the booth. Ailill helped her, always willing to share work for a hot meal. They made biscuits and stew, dropping the dough into the bubbling broth and crinkling their noses laughing when it splashed.

His oldest and dearest friend had promised to not tell anyone about Averey being here again, even her parents. But the significant looks she kept giving him across the table were almost too much to bear, and as they were washing up he elbowed her playfully, a gentler version of how they used to as kids.

"Cut it out, making all those moon-faces at me."

"Make me," Niamh teased back, bumping him with her shoulder.

"Oof, you're incorrigible," he said, but was laughing too hard to sound mad.

The family invited him to stay the night as they always did, but there was something about the lean-to that appealed to Ailill more than most other places he laid his head to sleep these days. Probably the fact that it was his and no one else's.

So Ailill hugged Niamh and her parents goodnight, smiling at the look in his friend's eye as they bid farewell.

"Be patient," she murmured, clasping his hands tightly as her parents went inside.

"I believe, Aili."

Smiling at Niamh in the twilight, with the night symphony of spring life buzzing around them, Ailill looked up... and saw a shooting star.

"Niamh! Look!"

She followed his gaze, but it was already gone as fast as it had come.

"What did you see?"

"A shooting star," Ailill breathed.

"I haven't seen one like that since I was a kid."

"Oooh Aili, that's such good luck!" Niamh jumped up and down in delight.

"I'm going to bless some thread to use on the loom tomorrow," she breathed, and dashed into the house without another word.

Ailill stood in front of the house, laughing softly and shaking his head.

He loved Niamh dearly, and knew that she did as well-- they didn't have to say it every day to know.

"Goodnight," he murmured, turning on his heel and walking without hurry to the lean-to.

\--

Aoifa had calmed down considerably now.

Eating her own home-cooked food had certainly helped, but mostly it was Finn giving her a lengthy foot rub while Brucie and Averey bumbled around getting the dishes done that had put her back in a good mood.

"Mmm, that's fantastic," she drawled, stretching back onto the large pillows they had in their sitting area.

Finn smiled down at her, pressing a kiss to her foot before continuing to work on them.

"I'm glad it's helping my love."

Then he looked up and made a _tch_ sound.

"Oy, Brucie! Those are to share with everyone, you know," he warned, seeing the greedy elf already getting into the dessert early.

"I can't help it," Brucie whined, "They smell so good! I only had one."

He returned to drying dishes, and Averey laughed.

"We're almost done Brucie, it's not that bad. You just never cook for anyone but yourself."

"And there's a reason for that," Brucie moaned dramatically, but kept at it and soon enough they were finished.

They sat in a circle on the large throw pillows, passing around the bag of sweet potato bites and a bottle of Regulation wine, aka fairy wine that had all the best stuff taken out of it. But it was still better than nothing.

And though sometimes Brucie's stubbornness got on everyone's last nerve, tonight Averey was grateful for his friend's persistence when he spoke up in a moment of hazy, pleasant silence. 

"Wouldn't it be lovely to feel grass in your toes, Aoifa? Fresh water from a stream, mud that doesn't stink like sulphur? Wouldn't you like to dance under the light of the moon?"

Aoifa groaned; at first it was impossible to tell whether it had been from something Finn had done or Brucie's words.

"Mab curse your gold-spinning mouth," she muttered, but her eyes were faraway.

Brucie didn't reply, waiting, and eventually she spoke again.

"Yes, of course I'd like it," she admitted at last.

"I'd be a fool to turn all that down, wouldn't I? But... how can you be sure it's safe? You only went up there yesterday. We'd have to wait."

"Of course, that was already part of the plan," Brucie soothed reassuringly.

"That's why we were Faded when we went up the first time, it was my idea."

"Oh that's _rich_ Brucie, you know I had to talk you into that," Averey said indignantly, which made Aoifa laugh and made his friend's disrespect almost worth it.

Almost.

But Brucie quickly cut him off with "The _important_ thing is that we're all going to go up. Together. Very, very soon."

Finn smiled at Aoifa, leaning in for a kiss as he set her foot down. 

"What do you think?" he asked her quietly.

"Are we going along with this, Aoifa? Am I going to get to dance with you in the moonlight at last?"

Aoifa looked up at the love of her life, raising a hand to gently cup his cheek, and her eyes misted over as she imagined it.

On their wedding day, Aoifa had wished for nothing more than to dance with Finn aboveground as the Ancients in Tír na nÓg had long ago, celebrating their unions by reeling and merrymaking long into the night.

Finn had never promised her they would do this, for both of them were practical, modern fae. But he knew that she had longed for it, ached for it, all this time.

Her throat was too choked up for a response so she merely nodded, and Averey let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

Brucie gave a whoop of pure joy, crowing about the apartment until Aoifa started yelling at him to calm down.

But they all felt his excitement in their bones in their own ways.

Averey couldn't sleep that night.

After saying goodbye to Finn and his unusually-teary sister, he and Brucie had wanted to find somewhere to talk logistics but they ended up not finding a place they could trust-- they gave it up for the night and bid each other farewell instead.

But now his mind was spinning with all the thought associated with going topside and Averey laid awake, unable to stop smiling.

Little did he know that far above, slumber was eluding Ailill as well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, this chapter took FOREVER to write in the final throes of my 2-week-long illness, then busy regular life stuff. I'm not going to be able to complete this by November 30th for NaNo obviously, but I'm going to update this casually alongside my fanfiction over the next couple months until I pan out the completed storyline I'm imagining.

"Wow, Aoifa, if looks could kill you'd be murdering."

"Kind of you to say so, Brucie," she replied, smirking as she twirled around a little to show off her short skirt and tall boots that she'd paired with a long-sleeved peasant top cinched around her midriff.

Aoifa was in an uncommonly good mood tonight, the excitement of finally going topside getting to her at last. And Finn was soaking up that energy, beaming at her as he came out of the bedroom looking his best in tight leather breeches and a vest that fit him like a glove.

"Aoifa, you're stunning," he said as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Not bad yourself darling," she replied, smiling as the kiss broke.

"I would say we're all looking scrumptious," Brucie said, and raised his voice, "And that means you too, Averey, it's time to _go_!"

"Pipe down you madman," Aoifa hissed, but Finn nuzzled at her shoulder and she trailed off into giggles.

They may or may not have already split two bottles of fae wine between the four of them, to calm their nerves before going up.

"Aaaaavereeeeeey," Brucie whined, knocking repeatedly against the bathroom door.

"What's taking you so long?"

"Just a minute," Averey called from inside the bathroom... it was the third time he'd said that now, and Brucie had noticed.

"You said that _twice_ already. Come on!"

"Oh let him live a little," Aoifa relented, smirking wickedly at Brucie.

"It's been absolutely _ages_ since I've seen him get this dolled up for anyone. This Ailill must be _very_ pretty."

Brucie laughed, nodding knowingly.

"He is."

"I heard that," came Averey's voice through the door.

"I know you did, bràthair, I said it loud enough for you to hear," Aoifa retorted.

"And he _is_, Averey, you are very right to want to look your best. But we are on a tight schedule here!" Brucie added.

Finally Averey came out, his hair shimmering more than usual from a special pomade.

"That stuff of yours takes _forever_ to rub into long hair," Averey grumbled at his sister, who stuck her tongue out.

"Not _my_ fault you have ten times as much hair as I do," she teased.

"When you've got a pixie cut like I do it's very quick to style."

"Mm, the things we do for beauty," Brucie murmured, tracing his fingers through his own long hair.

Finn kept his hair long too, but preferred to put it into intricate updos rather than let it lay down and get tangled. His was braided and fixed to his head in a beautiful wave using about a hundred pins; he enjoyed the design aspect of it very much.

"Speaking of beauty, I believe we're all ready now," Finn cut in, looking excited.

"So... are we going all together, or what?"

"Yes, it'll be harder to meet up if we don't travel together. We'll just have to be quiet when we first get into the-- when we're first going up," Brucie explained.

"The... passage... goes right past an Underground outpost. It's not visible, but if we're talking their radio chatter channels might pick it up. We can't be too careful. Averey and I estimated that if we walk the first two hundred st... footsteps, in silence, we'll pass it just fine."

"Two _hundred_?" Aoifa groaned. "Just how many _footsteps_ will there be?"

"Best not to think about that," Brucie said apologetically.

\--

Beltane was coming up, but not for another week. The village was bustling with activity for it, trading goods and food, and everyone doing their favorite rituals in preparation of the celebrations.

Ailill's contribution to the festival was to be in charge of foraging for dead wood in the forest that would be used on the bonfire. He'd had to start building the bonfire pyres weeks in advance because cutting trees down was not the proper way to celebrate with these festivals. Besides, the forest flourished from the yearly culling of the dead undergrowth, and Ailill liked this job. It was peaceful work.

The tree canopy's sheddings were picked up, bundled, and stacked together out in the gathering field. Next week on Beltane the whole pile would be lit, and there would be much dancing.

Ailill wondered if he'd see Averey on the holiday. He'd met the fae on Imbolc after all... and fae usually seemed to congregate around humans on their feast days. It made sense to him, why visit on a normal day?

Wandering through the woods, Ailill hummed quietly to himself as he searched for good kindling to add to his little armful, stopping every minute or so to stoop and pick up a piece.

He heard a noise that made him stand still immediately, listening.

What was that?

He could have sworn he'd heard laughter. But looking around, there was no one there...

Taking another step, then one more, Ailill paused. Nothing.

He bent over to pick up a stick and heard laughter again. Snapping back up, he saw-- nothing.

"Is someone there?" he asked, quietly but insistently.

"Please, if you are... it's all right to come out."

He heard a frantic _shhh_ followed by some whispered words that weren't Gaelic.

Then four beings stepped out into view, all of them wearing clothes that blended in with the forest background perfectly yet also were so glamorous that they stood out like gemstones.

Ailill's eyes went wide as he recognized--

"Averey," he breathed, his smile splitting his face.

"Ailill," Averey said back, striding forward.

The kindling Ailill had been gathering tumbled out of his arms forgotten as he reached his hands towards Averey, who took them, not caring that they were dirty and mossy from the forest wood.

"Told you I'd come back," he said, his own smirk apparent as his forehead leaned in against Ailill's.

Who was at a complete loss for words, and stood there gasping like a flippin' fish.

"Who... are yer friends?" he asked at last.

"Oh, yes, introductions are a ritual that I should probably do now."

Averey cleared his throat and backed up a step, letting go with his hands so he could gesture.

"This is my sister, Aoifa. This is Finn, her husband. And you've already met Brucie," he finished, making Brucie laugh.

"We have to ask you though, little human, since my best friend here hasn't made it obvious yet..."

Brucie looked around for a moment before continuing.

"Do you know what we are?"

Ailill took his time, before responding. They were alone here in this patch of woods and he didn't want to rush this.

Eyes narrowing, he looked them over. They certainly didn't _look_ like the fae the way they'd physically been described to him as a youth. But, admittedly, they were the most beautiful people he'd ever seen.

And seeing them all standing close to each other they looked even more alike, but not in strict appearance but rather in the sense that he could tell they shared something. Connections to the world around them that humans could only dream of...

"...I don't know how I know this, probably thanks to my friend Niamh," Ailill began, but he trailed off.

What if he was wrong...?

But Averey had _been_ there with him, close enough that he had sworn he'd felt warmth from his breath. And had heard his words where it was too close to not be able to see him at all.

"...I think you're fae."

Rather than seeming angry though, all of them looked strangely... relieved.

"Oh good, I don't have to explain it," Averey sighed, laughing.

Then Ailill blinked in surprise.

"So... so... so you _are_ then? But... why don't you l-- err... you don't... look like the fae in the tales people tell."

Brucie chortled with barely-contained condescending laughter.

"That's because we're wearing glamours," Aoifa explained, with a patient smile.

"It's magic to protect both of us -- so that you won't have memories of seeing a 'real' fae to be taken by patrols, and to be among you without being accused of wanting to cause mischief. We only want to have a good time tonight, I can assure you."

"But... Beltane isn't for seven more days," Ailill responded in confusion.

"Why tonight?"

"Ooh, if I may! I can answer that one," the one named Finn cried excitedly, looking at Aoifa.

"It's our wedding anniversary. Two hundred years tonight, and I couldn't be happier. We finally get to dance in the moonlight just like you wanted darling, and the weather is perfectly clear for it."

Ailill watched Aoifa wipe tears from her eyes before throwing her arms around Finn, and all he could think for a moment was _two _hundred_ years...?_ _How old are they? How old is Averey? _

He wasn't sure he could handle the response to that question right now. But he also didn't think it would change anything, at this point. All he could think about was the look on Niamh's face when she found out she'd been right all along.

"...I... can ye wait here, while I go get my friend Niamh?"

"Wait here? Let's go pick her up and hit the pub already," Brucie said, grinning rogueishly.

\--

Averey was sitting in a corner booth at the pub with Ailill pressed up against his side, his fingers tracing absently through those impossibly soft curls.

The fae really didn't think he'd ever been more content than this. Whatever doubts that he'd had, that Ailill had perhaps moved on from him and would no longer be interested, vanished the moment he'd seen that gorgeous smile that had lit up Ailill's entire face.

Averey had been giddy, nearly shaking with excited nerves as they'd held hands on the way to the pub.

Niamh kept giving Ailill meaningful looks over her shoulder while she chatted Aoifa up a few steps ahead of them, and his sister had been humoring her endless questions about faeries-- until they reached the town, of course, and the topics of conversation had to change.

Things couldn't have gone better, really-- the barkeep was already stocked up for Beltane and it turned out Aoifa had real human gold to barter with. After she put a small but heavy bag of it onto the bar, the drinks flowed freely for everyone.

Someone had started playing the fiddle, and someone else had started singing a lively tune along with it, and a few people were dancing. Including Aoifa and Finn, looking happier than Averey had ever seen. And Brucie, whose previous admirers were nearly fainting from the pleasant surprise of seeing him again.

Even Niamh was getting romantic attention from one of her femme friends tonight that the fae hadn't been introduced to; they were ensconced in their own corner, laughing together and kissing.

Several people were looking over in Averey's direction as well, but he only had eyes for Ailill tonight. The young man was perfect, really...

Eventually though Aoifa announced that she and Finn would be continuing the party outside, and Ailill grinned and got up. Averey shivered a little from the loss of contact, but couldn't muster breath for a complaint seeing how eager Ailill looked.

"Come on, let's go look at the stars and watch your sister dance," he said, tugging at Averey's hand.

The fiddler and singer had been roped into coming outside as well, so that they could provide music for Aoifa and Finn's moonlight dance.

At first, everyone clapped along and cheered, and when Averey's gaze drifted upwards, he swore he saw a shooting star.

Then the musicians launched into a ballad, and people began to join in the dance, pairing off. Midway through the piece Averey watched Ailill give a ridiculous wink to Niamh and her partner before turning his gaze back to the fae.

"And what was that about?" he couldn't help asking, smiling when Ailill's nose crinkled and all those freckles moved around.

He was so _cute_.

"Oh, I just have to admit to her that she was right... about everything," the young human said, sounding more breathless than was warranted for their current level of dancing.

"About the fae folk being real first of all, but also that you'd come back," he added, blushing.

"I... I must admit, she had more faith in you than I did. I'm sorry that I didn't trust your word."

"I am sorry, too," Averey said softly, and they fell out of the dance rhythm for a few moments at the edge of the spinning circles, so that he could frame Ailill's face gently with his hands while he spoke.

"I... did not think you would be waiting for me like this. I was... worried I had expected too much of you."

He let go, his hands trailing down to the human's shoulders.

Those precious curls shook in the pale moonlight.

"No... Avey, I want... I want to be with you," Ailill breathed, and the fae felt something twist in his chest the likes of which he couldn't remember feeling before in all his centuries of life.

Looping his arms low around the young man's waist, he nuzzled into Ailill's hair and inhaled deeply.

"I want to be with you too, Ailill." He felt the young man sigh and lean into his shoulder, and his heart soared.

Yes, of course he was happy for Aoifa. His sister had talked of little else as a kid, than wanting to dance topside in the moonlight. She was doing it now with the one partner Averey thought was decent enough for her, and she looked radiant.

But now _he_ had someone too for a change, someone he was actually very interested in getting to know better.

"D'you want to go back to your lean-to?" he murmured into Ailill's ear, and was pleased to feel the young man shiver a little before responding.

"Yes," he whispered, and Averey felt a rush of nervous, delicious anticipation.

They left in true fae fashion, without saying goodbye to anyone. Everyone was distracted anyway and scarcely noticed them slipping back to the woods. By the time they got to the lean-to, the desire was so pent-up that they nearly bruised each other's mouths, kissing so heatedly the moment after they'd lit the candles.

"I missed you," Averey breathed, unable to stop the words from tumbling out, and he thought he heard Ailill let out a low sob.

Feeling a desperate hand twining in his hair, he shivered and leaned in to deepen the kiss.

When they finally broke for air, Ailill was marveling at the texture of his hair.

"How is it even softer and more... sparkly, than last time?"

Averey laughed.

"Aoifa has this special pomade, it takes so long to work it in from the hard wax but, the results are worth it no?"

"Very worth it," Ailill admitted, leaning in for another kiss.

Time became something incomprehensible, for a while. There was only the soft yet intense pressing of their lips, and occasionally also their tongues. Bodies holding each other, exchanging heat in the already warm night.

Averey realized they were sweating in all their clothes and pulled back, starting to undo his pants and watching Ailill's throat work as he swallowed while riveted to the sight. A low hiss escaped the fae as he took out his cock, his enjoyment of all the kissing very evident.

"...Ah." Ailill seemed adorably at a loss for words, and Averey stroked himself slowly... once, twice, then stopped. He shifted where he stood, though, his body craving more.

"Nnn... Ailill," Averey groaned, feeling his cock pulse with need.

"I'll do whatever you like, tonight, but... if you are open to the request, I would _love_ it if you'd suck me for a little while..."

He watched Ailill's face flush _very_ red at that in the candle light.

"I... think I would like to try that," he whispered, kneeling on the pallet in front of Averey and putting his hands on the fae's hips.

Averey shivered, his free hand tracing gently through Ailill's curls.

"You don't have to try to take it in all at once, I like-- uh, I actually like it being licked mostly," he admitted, and Ailill flushed darker as he nodded, but did look a bit... relieved.

Then he licked a hot stripe along the underside of Averey's cock, holding it still with one hand, and Avey moaned. He didn't mean to, but his fingers tightened a little in Ailill's hair.

"_Ailill--_"

He didn't know what he'd been wanting to say, if anything, because right then Ailill licked him again, dragging his wet tongue slowly all along him, and Averey shuddered. Suddenly his knees felt weak, and he regretted having all that fae wine.

But it felt too good to even say anything, because Ailill was really getting into it now. And the hand around the base of his cock was squeezing slowly tighter and tighter, just enough to really drive Averey mad with pleasure.

Then, without being prompted, Ailill began to suck on the tip. It felt amazing. Then he sank further onto it and oh, gods, the feeling was so delicious, sinfully good...

All too soon, the fae felt himself getting dangerously close to climaxing. The trembling, tense anticipation of this night was getting to his stamina, and Averey pushed gently at Ailill's shoulders.

"S-stop... don't want to finish yet," he said breathlessly.

Ailill looked up at him with big dark eyes, his pupils wide with arousal. He was nearly pouting in disappointment.

"You don't want me to finish you?"

And Averey's cock was drooling precome. How had Ailill managed to undo him so completely with such few words? Now he wanted nothing more than to explode into that sweet, panting heat.

His fingers shook as he traced them messily over Ailill's chin, playing with those full, kiss-plumped lips and feeling how wet his mouth was from licking his cock.

"Oh I want it, pretty," Averey said, his voice rough, and he noticed Ailill shiver. It made him feel hot all over.

"If you want me to cum in your mouth, then take it," he hissed, and then groaned in pleasure when Ailill did. It was so _hot_...

He wasn't going to last long. Not when he was now watching in real-time something he'd wanked to many, many times over the past few weeks... and the reality was so much better. Ailill was so _eager_, making slurping sounds around his dick, and oh fuck he was really going to _town_ and it was the hottest thing he'd done in ages.

Groaning, Averey fought the urge to roll his eyes back in his head. He wanted to watch this, oh he was _close_ now, feeling pleasure bubbling up through his guts.

A shiver ran down the fae's spine when he watched Ailill's cheeks suck in as the pressure increased on his cock, and all at once it was too good too much--

"H-_aaah_...!"

Averey was cumming, hard, knees buckling. His hands rested heavily on Ailill's shoulders for a few moments while the waves of pleasure shook him, then he stumbled back against the wall of the lean-to panting.

Ailill coughed a little, wiping at his mouth and looking like he hadn't liked the taste of that.

"Are you all right?" Averey asked, still breathless.

Ailill nodded, and he looked down; Averey noticed with relief that the human's erection was still tenting his pants, pulsing noticeably.

"Mn, I can... take care of that for you if you like," Averey offered.

"Will you prep me so that you can fuck me when you get hard again?" Ailill asked, his voice lower than usual from arousal-- it was so sexy.

"Of course..."

Averey knelt down, undoing Ailill's pants and pulling them down and off along with his socks and shoes.

"Hm..."

The fae felt lazily satisfied from his first cum and didn't want to rush to the sex-- his goal was to make Ailill orgasm once too, so that they could really take their time with intercourse.

So Averey had an idea.

"Have you ever had someone lick your arsehole, Ailill?" he purred, relishing how Ailill shivered immediately in response.

"N-no," he said.

"Fingers, sure, plenty... but not... that..."

"Would you like to try it tonight? I do enjoy doing it," Averey admitted, already getting excited thinking about lavishing this sweet ass with attention.

"But only if you're interested in trying it."

He waited for Ailill's response, sure that he was going to turn it down.

But what he heard was, "I... I'll try it..."

A thrill went through him, and he kissed Ailill softly.

"If you don't like it, just say so and I'll stop, okay? Or if you want me to slow down or change position... just let me know. And when you're ready, turn around for me," he added, indicating with a flipping motion of his hand.

Ailill took off his shirt and turned over, laying on his stomach on the pallet.

"Do you want to lay flat, or be on your knees? Whichever you feel more comfortable doing," Averey said.

"I'll get on my knees," Ailill said, and did so, leaning his face on his forearms.

Which meant his ass was up in the air...

Averey couldn't get hard again yet, but his cock gave a valiant twitch trying to. Ailill looked _good _like this, it was all he could do to stop himself from giving that sweet ass a playful slap.

But they didn't know each other like that yet... he didn't want to scare Ailill. So he put his hands gently on the young man's hips, and leaned in as he spread the cheeks with his thumbs, licking around the hole for a few moments before pushing his tongue gently inside.

He heard Ailill make a small, strangled noise, and he stopped.

"Does it hurt?"

"N-no," came the breathless reply, and then Ailill shifted his hips back _toward_ Averey, and the fae's skin erupted in goosebumps.

Ailill wanted this... and Averey was more than willing to deliver. He leaned in again, tonguing with more confidence now. He was gentle of course, but also firm, using his grip on the human's hips to steady himself.

And after a little while Ailill began making the _most_ intoxicating noises... the young human was gasping and whimpering, every sound going straight to Averey's dick.

He groaned softly into Ailill's ass, inhaling the earthy scent of the young man. He hadn't done this to someone in so long... it wasn't popular at all among elves and was judged and even shamed publicly in the Underground society. But humans were so amiable this way, willing to do things considered taboo, willing to risk it all in the name of pleasure and good fun.

He felt Ailill's body starting to tremble beneath him, and one of his hands reached around to find the young man's cock and squeeze it.

"A-_Avey_!" came the broken cry, and the fae felt his cock twitch once more, already half-hard again.

This sweet human was turning him _on_.

The fae growled, sticking his tongue further inside and tasting the tang of sweat and something else best not to examine too closely. Averey knew the risks associated with this... nothing a simple cleaning spell couldn't take care of afterwards. Being dirty was only temporary. And the moan that left Ailill when he pushed deeper, more than made up for the questionable taste.

"O_ooh_," Ailill gasped, shuddering in pleasure.

"_Fuck_ me right in the arse, oh _god_."

Averey was in so deep now that his nose was trapped between Ailill's cheeks, and he was having just a bit of trouble breathing but it would be fine for a little while longer. If the leaking cock was anything to go by, the young man was close already... the fae twisted his slender fingers around Ailill's hardness, squeezing and pumping and twisting in actions that mimicked the directions his tongue was moving inside that tight hole.

Ailill made a noise that was almost a squawk, undignified but totally involuntary, and immediately he was rocking back and forth with a desperation that made Averey's cock swell to its fullest.

"P-please please _please_ I-- aa_aaah_!"

His back arched beautifully, and before Averey could pull away to watch Ailill was cumming all over the pallet, grunting as his body jerked around in the fae's careful hold.

The young man's face fell into the crook of his elbow as his chest and stomach heaved, he sounded like he'd been running. Averey felt pride wash through him, almost as good as another orgasm of his own.

And speaking of which... after casting a cleaning spell onto his mouth and face, and one to get rid of the mess of Ailill's cum, Averey took off his shirt and began to tug on his renewed erection while hissing softly.

"Gods you're so sexy," he purred, looking at Ailill's gaping hole expand and contract-- the human hadn't moved, still on his knees with his head down.

"Do you have any idea how fuckable you look right now?"

He heard Ailill swallow hard, and saw the young man shiver.

"Please," came the panted reply.

Averey leaned down, kissing over Ailill's spine and down onto his butt cheek.

"Tell me if it's too much," he murmured, and then licked over his index finger before sliding it into Ailill's still quivering hole.

The moan that the young human let out went straight to his dick.

"A-Avey," Ailill gasped, his body starting to tremble.

"Please... m-more..."

The fae obliged him, adding a second finger and starting to scissor them slowly inside. His own breathing was ragged now as he watched Ailill's curls bob while he shook with pleasure.

"You're so gorgeous," Averey breathed, watching the back of the human's neck get so red that his freckles were nearly invisible in the moonlight streaming over them.

"Ailill," came the name moaned from the fae's lips, he couldn't stop it any more than he could stop his fingers from seeking that spot that would make the human cry out.

And soon enough he was rewarded; Avey found the little knot of nerves and rubbed it slowly, coaxingly. He wanted it to feel maddeningly good.

"_Averey_," came his name in such a pleased yet wanting tone that his cock jerked immediately in response.

"Please..."

"Please what, Ailill?" he cooed, nipping at the back of Ailill's shoulder gently with his teeth.

"Do you want more fingers, or do you want me to get inside you?"

Ailill cried out at that, slumping down onto the pallet as his arm muscles finally gave out.

"Inside," he groaned into his elbow.

"Please Avey, oh godsplease..."

Averey wasn't in the mood to tease or draw this out any longer. Withdrawing his fingers slowly, he cast another cleaning spell on them.

"Do you want to roll over, or stay in this position?" he asked, noticing how Ailill's trembling was worsening.

"Probably should... roll over," Ailill grunted, as he did so and flopped onto his back.

"Oof..."

"All right?" Averey asked, leaning in for a gentle kiss and waiting until the young human nodded before lifting Ailill's knees over his shoulders.

He muttered the incantation for a lube spell onto his cock, something he'd been practicing recently. Underground, sex magic was considered uncouth and a waste of power. But he wasn't concerned with his image among the fae. All he needed was to be ready to plunge inside, _now_.

Which he did, painstakingly slowly at first but still hissing at the tight heat. Ailill whined softly, shifting underneath him to get the angle better lined up. Averey adjusted and followed his lead until their hips were finally, _finally_ aligned again after long weeks apart.

"Please," Ailill whispered, his chest heaving too much for any other words.

But Averey understood, starting to set a slow pace as he slid out a little, then back in...

It felt like it had been a hundred years since he'd been in this ecstasy. What was this little human _doing_ to him? The fae couldn't remember the last time he was so hot for sex that he wanted to drown in it. He'd already cum once tonight yet his body _burned_ with desire.

And he knew that Ailill felt the same way... already the young man was writhing, shifting against him in ways that made him gasp. They found a rhythm without having to say a word this time, going so slow but _oh_ it was agonizingly good.

And Averey was very glad that they were out here in the lean-to in the woods, where they didn't have to be concerned with bothering anyone with their noises. So when he hit a certain spot inside that made Ailill arch off the pallet and give a hoarse shout, he growled in response as the hot pleasure soaking his insides made him feel feral.

They clutched at each other desperately, sweating and shaking, unable to speak.

Averey turned his head to press kisses to Ailill's thigh, loving the way it made the young man whimper as they locked eyes for a moment. The heat was practically melting them in the humid summer night, but it was so deliciously perfect. Averey had never felt more _human_.

He was losing himself inside that hot, tight hole, grunting as his pace grew uneven and more frenzied. He was close, but he wanted Ailill to cum again as well...

So he pulled one of the human's hands up to his mouth and licked a messy swath over Ailill's palm, resisting his urge to suck on those fingers and get distracted.

"Touch yourself," he groaned, and Ailill's eyes rolled back in his head as he squeezed himself with his moistened hand at the same time one of Averey's thrusts slid home.

"Aaa_aaah_!"

Ailill's broken cry pierced the fae's gut with heat.

Averey hissed as he felt Ailill's muscles clench around him, knowing he couldn't last much longer.

"_Ailill_," he growled, holding the human's legs tight enough to bruise as he drove in harder, rougher.

There was a keening moan, that the fae dimly realized was coming from Ailill. The human looked unbelievably hot in the throes of his ecstasy, gripping his red leaking cock so tight his knuckles were white.

The wet sounds their bodies were making, their harsh breaths exhaled into the night, suddenly it was too much for Averey and a helpless low moan escaped him.

_I'm gonna cum--_

"Nnn_nnngh_!"

His orgasm lit him on fire, as pulse after hot pulse wracked his frame. And it was a pity he had lost it first, for he was shaking too much to be able to properly enjoy the view of Ailill climaxing just seconds later, crying out something that might have been his name.

Averey was cumming so hard, for so long, that he nearly choked for breath. His spine cracked in several places and he was fairly convinced he'd passed out for a split second from the intensity. Finally the strongest waves had passed, but he was still quivering with aftershocks that made Ailill let out the most delicious soft sounds. Both of them didn't speak for moments that stretched into minutes.

Averey watched the human's eyelids flutter as Ailill caught his breath, and then wanted nothing more than to kiss them. So he gently moved them until Ailill's feet were on the floor once more and leaned down to press feather-light kisses over the young man's brows.

"Thank you," the fae exhaled before he could stop himself, and he heard Ailill let out a little surprised squeak.

"Thank _you_," came the reply back with a breathy laugh.

"That... whuh. Wow."

They nuzzled at each other for a long while, until Ailill professed needing to move, and pee. Averey pulled out with a groan, casting a cleaning spell over them both as they stumbled outside to piss.

This time they were doing it together, and Ailill giggled as their streams crossed in the dark.

"Y'know, I didn't realize faeries pissed just like we do. Even smells the same."

Averey snorted with laughter.

"Keep your voice down out here when you say that word," he said, but smiled at Ailill as they finished and went back inside.

They were both still a little tipsy it seemed, and from his pack he'd brought Averey pulled out a flask of cave spring water, offering it to Ailill before taking a long drink himself. Then they laid down onto the pallet together, pulling the thin sheet that Ailill kept here over during the summer months over themselves.

"That was... amazing," Ailill murmured into Averey's chest, tracing patterns on his skin.

"No one's ever... been so focused on making me feel good," he admitted, his voice sounding very vulnerable and shy.

A fierce desire to protect and care for Ailill took over Averey's heart. His throat had closed up, and it worked as he tried to find words for a response.

"Ailill, I... I only want to make you feel good with me," he said, the words halting around the lump in his throat.

"I promise..."

The fae felt the young man shiver in his arms, and felt the grip on him tighten until it was almost painful. He didn't say anything, just holding tighter himself.

"Avey," came his nickname, murmured in the dark a while later.

Averey opened his eyes; he had thought Ailill was asleep. He himself nearly had been.

"Hmm?"

"You're not... like the other fae, are you."

Averey couldn't see Ailill's face from this angle, though he wished he could.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... that you want to be here. You want to be living with humans again, not just fading in and out of our lives for fun."

"..."

Averey's breath caught, and he didn't want to admit at first just how right Ailill was.

But the human interpreted his reaction as being offended, and he lifted his head so that they were looking each other in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, Averey, I didn't mean to--"

"Ailill, you're-- you're right."

"...I am?"

"Yes, it's... it's been custom, for millennia, to treat humans as... lesser," Averey said quietly, something inside him hurting from the way Ailill's face fell.

"But I don't... agree with that. Especially now that the fae have gone underground, I... it's wrong, how we're living. We weren't meant to be without the sun and rain. And I don't think that... that being around humans will affect us negatively, if we go about it the right way..."

"...I knew it," Ailill breathed, interrupting Averey's trailing off sentence to kiss him tenderly.

"Out of all the fae, somehow I got one who doesn't just want a one-off," he said when he pulled back, laughing.

"I literally feel like I'm dreamin', that this can't possibly be real."

"What can I do to convince you it is?" Averey murmured, cupping Ailill's face with his hand, utterly entranced by the young man's soft beautiful aura.

"Hmm... well first of all, no disappearin' while I'm asleep," Ailill said.

"Stay til morning?"

Averey nodded, relieved that this was a request he could grant.

"Of course," he said, stroking his fingers through Ailill's hair and smiling when the young man leaned into his touch.

"I'll be here til sunrise, I'm not going anywhere."

"Good." Ailill settled back down, laying his head on Averey's chest and sighing in contentment.

"Goodnight, Avey."

"Goodnight, Ailill."

\--

Ailill woke slowly at dawn, sighing as he stretched and rolled over.

He was almost startled to find that he wasn't alone on the pallet-- and then he grinned when he realized that Averey had made good on his promise to stay at least until the morning. This was very, very real now.

And as beautiful as the fae was sleeping, Ailill selfishly wanted a few more minutes awake with him before he'd have to leave.

So he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Averey's shoulder and smiling when the fae shifted and groaned softly.

"Averey... it's sunup," he murmured, nuzzling the fae's ear and wondering what it actually looked like beneath the glamour.

Weren't they pointed, or something?

But now Averey's gorgeous eyes had opened, and Ailill's wandering thoughts left his mind as he was overtaken by the beauty of this fae in his bed.

"Dawn already...? I slept so deeply," Averey said, his voice gruff from sleep.

"You wore me out," he added, grinning, and a pleased flush crept over Ailill's neck.

"Yes, that was... quite intense, last night. ...When will you be back?" Ailill asked, boldly.

Averey hesitated only for a moment before responding.

"I... I'm not sure. We have to wait to make sure that the patrols haven't noticed anything before we try again, but since we're disguised as humans we should be all right. You haven't heard any gossip about fae here, have you?"

"Not anything serious," Ailill assured.

"People don't even think you and Brucie are fae, they just think you're genetically lucky," he added, and laughed at the look on Averey's face.

"But the tales they tell about the fae-folk are mostly the ancient ones, about Tír na nÓg. The people who claim to have bedded fae in the last century, well, let's just say they don't have reputations for not exaggerating their tales, so they're not really believed."

"That's good, although not what I expected," Averey admitted.

"Considering Brucie and I came here less than a hundred years ago."

"You did?" Ailill's eyebrows shot up, and he laughed.

"Blimey, it's hard to believe you can even be that old, lookin' at you. How old _are_ you anyway?"

"...In human years? About... four hundred," Averey said, counting on his fingers.

Ailill's eyes widened. It was one thing to contemplate it, it was quite another to hear it coolly stated as fact.

"How is it that y'look like me at twenty-nine, but you're four hundred? Is that part of the glamour?"

"If you're implying that I will look old and wrinkled without it, you'd be wrong," Averey said, his pride tinting the words.

Ailill smirked.

"You certainly have the vanity of a fae," he teased.

"But can you blame me for asking? If a human lived to be four hundred years old we'd be as rattly and withered as a skeleton," the young man chuckled.

"Well, we aren't humans," Averey said simply, leaning in to kiss the tip of Ailill's nose.

"We do age physically, of course. Just much slower than humans, that's all. Elders don't start getting wrinkly and weak until they've lived over a millennium."

"Ah, so you aren't _that_ old for a fae," Ailill said, feeling more relieved than he'd expected to.

It was still surreal to think about their age difference, but somehow knowing that relative to their races they were similar ages was comforting.

"No, I'm not. ...Does it bother you?" Averey asked, taking one of Ailill's hands in his own.

"That I have lived so much longer than you?"

"Bother is... a strong word. It's just... surprising, you know?"

Ailill squeezed Averey's hand gently.

"Didn't you hear tales of something fantastic as a babe, that you thought would never be real? That's how the fae were to me, until I met you," he said, feeling his cheeks heating up and unable to do anything about it.

After a beat he felt bold enough to add, "Were you really here, a few weeks ago? When you said you'd come back? I didn't hallucinate that, right...?"

"No, you didn't," Averey admitted.

"I was there, but I'd made Brucie promise that no one could see us just in case. We can Fade, making ourselves invisible for any non-fae creature. It was... incredibly difficult to not stay," he said, squeezing Ailill's hand back.

"I wish that I could stay longer now, but I made everyone promise to meet back at the stairs at sunrise."

"But when will you be back?" Ailill persisted, his grip on Averey tightening instinctively before he could stop himself.

"I'm sorry, Ailill... I don't want to make you a promise I can't keep," Averey said, and Ailill's heart sank.

That could mean weeks, months... _years_, his brain said before he could stop it, and he bit back a small noise of despair.

Averey was speaking again.

"I promise, I will come back to you as soon as I'm safely able to. If I get imprisoned-- again-- you'd likely never see me again in your lifetime," he added quietly, which was a sobering thought to Ailill.

"I see... well, I want you to be careful then," he murmured, pressing his face into Averey's collarbone.

The fae inhaled sharply when Ailill pressed his lips to Averey's neck.

"Please trust me, Ailill... if I could stay I would," he whispered, his fingers trailing almost reverently through those red curls, bright and sparkling in the first rays of sun that were shining into the lean-to's window.

"Can you show me where the stairs are, at least?" Ailill tried, but Averey shook his head.

"It's safer for you not to know for now," he insisted.

"Eventually I will show you, of course, but we have to make sure we're not being watched. I know all this precaution may seem like overkill but--"

"It's all right," Ailill suddenly interrupted, and he kissed Averey one last time... though he desperately hoped it wouldn't be the last time.

"You've got to go meet them, the sun is already rising," he insisted, trying to hide that he was nearly crying.

But one tear escaped out of both eyes when he blinked, and Averey wiped them both gently away with his thumbs.

"Believe me Ailill, I'll be back as soon as possible," he said, and Ailill nodded, sniffling.

Somehow he held back his sobs until Averey was far enough away to be out of earshot.

\--

Each step that the fae took through the woodlands away from Ailill was increasingly difficult. When he'd spent all night hearing that sweet voice and looking into those dazzling eyes and touching those soft curls, leaving felt like his lungs were being crushed.

Especially because he _wasn't_ sure when he'd be back.

To Aoifa and Finn, this had been a one-time-thing. And to Brucie, it scarcely mattered if he saw the same group of humans again based on how he felt towards them still.

Averey's heart was the ony one aching.

His vision blurred, and he wiped tears away with the heel of his hand, not wanting his fae kin to see him crying like this in the bright morning sun.

They were all looking tired but sated and happy, when he drew close to their chosen meeting spot by the stairs.

"Ah, you made it! I was just about to come and fetch you," Brucie teased, but at Averey's weak smile he dropped the mocking tone.

"Avey... are you all right?"

_No._

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Aoifa said with concern, taking her brother's hand.

"Didn't you have a good time last night? You disappeared pretty early on..."

"It was a wonderful night, I had a great time," Averey said quietly but earnestly, hitching up his smile a little wider for his sister's sake.

"But I'm ready to go back now. Finn, can you lead us please?"

"On it."

And nobody asked Averey how he was feeling for the rest of the walk down, which he was grateful for.

He let the rest of them chat and chat about the humans they'd met and the conversations they had and the amazing sex-- that was Brucie-- and Aoifa and Finn chortled in the embarrassed way that of course signaled they'd snuck off to have some fun of their own, after dancing their hearts out.

But Aoifa and Finn didn't have to live separately now, after that. It was true that sometimes Finn was away for weeks or months due to work, but they had lived together at the beginning of their relationship and had developed a strong foundation by that point.

What if Ailill got tired of waiting and moved on? What if someone else came into his life in the next few months, and he was no longer interested in Averey?

Averey wasn't sure if he could politely handle that. So he swore to himself that he would go back within the next month, risk be damned. He was starting to fall for Ailill, and wanted to actually spend time with him that wasn't just for sex. Now that he had the farm job though, he couldn't sneak away for days at a time without being noticed as skipping shifts which would lead to an inquiry of where he'd been.

But Averey was willing to risk it all for Ailill; as scary as that felt it also felt right. Nothing had ever felt this strong in his heart before, and as he laid down to sleep that night after work he thought _I will be back for you soon, Ailill, I promise_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank Adrian von Ziegler for making the tracks "Moonsong", "Morrígan", "Daydream Melody" and "Woodland Tales" which featured heavily in my playlist while I was writing this.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein we meet Ruukhal, the villain of the story, and Averey has a bad time of things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg I'm finally dusting this off! To the 4 people reading it thanks so much for your patience and support <3 this is a shorter chapter while I figure out some plot stuff.

Ruukhal had known about the stairs but hadn't dared go down them.

For one human-- even a mage-- against unknown hordes of faeries was terrible odds. It would be suicide. Not because Ruuk thought the fae were barbaric; moreso that he knew those stairs were from the ancient days, and that the fae had sworn off ever having contact with the upper world many centuries ago. He would be intruding, threatening their secrecy from the human world, and they would rightfully slay him for doing so.

Still the wizard hermit monitored the area regularly on his patrols and set little traps that would activate if anyone crossed through. They wouldn't alert anyone else; these were signs only Ruukhal could read.

And today as he checked it he blinked and did a double take.

The special leaf he'd charmed to stay in place and react had turned from green to red out of season, meaning someone had been here recently. Possibly more than one someone.

Ruukhal intended to find out just who that had been.

He set up many more traps, and began to move his routes closer and closer to this area. Weeks and months passed and he didn't see a soul that wasn't fauna... but Ruukhal was nothing if not patient. The wizard already lived outside as a nomad, only taking the barest of essentials from the forest and its animals to survive and nothing else.

For hours at a time he would sit within full view of the stairs, cloaked by his own spells to be invisible to anyone around him. Ruuk did it under starlight and sunlight, never wavering in his focus now that he'd received confirmation of his suspicion.

He _would_ find out who had been here if they dared return.

\--

The days passed impossibly slowly to Ailill.

All he wanted was for the months to rush past like clouds on a windy day, but the summer was determined to drag its miserable heat on before finally giving in to the chill of autumn.

Niamh had done her very best to keep his spirits up but ultimately as the weeks passed, Ailill began to wither away with the summer's fading blooms.

"What if he never comes back?" he whispered to her one night as they lay huddled up in Ailill's lean-to during a thunderstorm, clutching each other every time the loud _cracks_ sizzled through the air.

"What if I'm ruined for love now, Niamh?"

"Oh Aili, we're soaking wet from a storm because we didn't read the almanac right and stay at my house that has real shutters-- and _this_ is what you're thinking about?!"

"Can't help it, this place makes me remember him."

Niamh sighed, another clap of thunder making her shiver. She gave up on talking for a while as she laid her head on Ailill's damp shoulder and held his arm with her hands for a sense of security.

Ailill's arm was around her back as he held her too, and he had given up on hoping for a response when Niamh finally spoke during a lull in the creaking wind.

"Time passes slower for elves, Aili. Being patient will always be much harder for you than for him, remember that."

And Ailill hugged his best friend a little tighter, knowing she was right.

\--

"_GREY! _I wanna talk ter you, _now_!"

Averey flinched, standing up in the field and rubbing his sore neck while taking a deep breath.

"Yes Boss?" he asked, wearily, and the small elf Randall poked Averey right in the chest-- even though he had to reach _up_ to do so.

Averey had to clench his fists to stop from hitting his boss reflexively.

"Yer on _thin ice_ Grey," Randall warned, and Averey grimaced as he could smell the fae wine on his boss's breath.

At first he had liked Randall well enough to tolerate this job, but that was before he realized Randall only liked people until they did something _he_ didn't like. Then, you were on the shit list with him forever and he treated you like garbage.

"I know you got in so late yesterday y'missed lunch, and if you pull that stunt again you can kiss this job goodbye."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Averey replied, smoothly yet with irritation.

He'd practiced this kind of denial so many times that he nearly believed he _hadn't_ missed half of yesterday's shift. Because he may or may not have gone topside two nights ago just to see Ailill, and was devastated to find him not in the lean-to. He'd waited all the way until sunrise, desperately hoping, but clearly Ailill had slept elsewhere that night.

Averey had wanted to leave a sign of his presence though, so he'd taken his knife and carved a simple heart and the Elvish runes for his name into a small area of the door frame, hoping that wouldn't be considered disrespectful.

He hoped that Ailill would see it soon, and be reassured that Averey had tried to come back. That Averey hadn't just disappeared for good. And that to him, at the end of a long and frustrating night, had been much more important than getting in to work on time.

Especially when he'd known Randall would react like this despite the fact that he hadn't been late or missed a shift once yet in more than seven months being employed on the farm.

"I'm warnin' you Grey," Randall growled, fixing Averey with a terrifying look.

"You come here to _work_, and you come in on time. If y'can't do that, well... the mines are always hiring," he said, chuckling morbidly as he walked away.

And despite the rage he felt at his drunken mess of a supervisor, Averey couldn't help the unpleasant twist his insides gave thinking about the mines.

Sure, those jobs paid well. Full benefits and everything, practically unheard of nowadays. But... the death and severe injury toll was so high that they constantly were understaffed and overworked. Averey stayed away from those jobs at all costs, grateful that his felony charges had been changed to misdemeanor at the last minute and that he was still eligible for regular employment.

So despite his pride being shredded to bits, Averey worked the rest of his shift calmly and without saying a word to his boss or anyone else. And then he went home and started planning.

He _would_ find Ailill again, even if it meant leaving the Underground for good.

\--

It had taken Ailill five days to notice the carving; he'd returned to the lean-to only hours after Averey had left it, but unfortunately wasn't accustomed to studying the doorframe while he was in it.

But one afternoon as he laid on his cot and watched the dappling sunlight moving over the walls, the carving caught his eye and he bolted upright.

"Averey," he breathed, tracing his fingers over the carved heart and feeling his eyes welling with tears.

"When were you here? W-when did I miss you?" Ailill cried miserably, sinking to his knees.

But even as his heart was heavy with remorse of not being here when the elf had been, he couldn't stop the joyful tears as he stared at the beautiful little carving.

He didn't know what the Elvish characters were, but the heart spoke volumes.

When he brought Niamh there an hour later she shrieked in delight.

"Oh _Aili_! He was here, he hasn't forgotten you!"

Ailill was still too overcome with emotion to speak without crying, so he just nodded and sniffled. Niamh hugged him tightly and he squeezed her back with just as much ferocity, feeling more hopeful than he had in months.

\--

"Avey, this is madness."

"Oh, how the tables have turned Brucie," Averey muttered as he carefully braided his hair.

The last time he'd gone up and down those blasted stairs by himself he'd gotten so many cobwebs in that he hadn't felt clean even after two showers. So he finished up a tight braid, pinning it up away from his neck in a neat coil at the back of his head.

"But I never wanted you to abandon us!" Brucie cried in exasperation.

"You've really gone and gotten obsessed with a _human_," he said, just barely keeping disgust out of his tone.

"What if Cassius finds out and tries to threaten you again? You never confirmed how he knew we took the lift last time even when we picked one not being monitored, maybe he's got an eye on you that you don't realize..."

The callous reference of his ex soured Averey's mood alongside Brucie's vocal contempt of humans; when he turned to face his friend he was scowling.

"Brucie, you're the one who promised we'd go back soon. This whole thing to make it a regular occurrence was _your_ idea!"

"And I still plan to-- you're the one who can't wait another six months, Averey!" Brucie exclaimed.

"It's like you _want_ us to get noticed by Echelon up there!"

"Oh I see. So when it's for Aoifa, you get all romantic and convincing, but when it's for me suddenly it's too much of a risk," Averey said coldly, and Brucie wilted under his friend's frosty tone.

"Avey, you know I love you," he whined, "But you can't put yourself-- or the rest of us-- at risk so soon! I know you went up last week," he said, and when Averey locked eyes with him Brucie laughed.

"Oh, what, you thought you were being _stealthy_? Oh Avey dear, that's why you got arrested twice and I only did once. That kind of bravado won't keep you safe for long."

"How did you know?" Averey whispered hoarsely. "I didn't see or tell anyone."

"I set my own detection traps on the st-- on the entrance," Brucie said, catching himself just in time.

"You really ought to improve your trap detection skills, Avey."

"Well you wouldn't have known they worked without me doing that, so really you ought to be thanking me for testing them," Avey shot back, feeling surly now.

Why did Bruce not tell him that he'd set detection traps? And why was he acting like Averey tripping them was putting them in danger?

"You won't be able to do this forever Averey, not without someone noticing who wants to cause you harm because of it," Brucie warned.

"So are you going to just let me go alone then, or are you going to help me?"

"I can't go now, you know that! I just took a new position in my company that's nights and weekends Avey! I'm already going to be late for work just from being here talking to you!"

"That was your choice, Brucie. I'm not choosing the Underground life any more. I want something more," Averey said, putting in his final hairpin with a long sigh.

"I know you think humans are just something to play around with, but what I have with Ailill... it's deeper than that. I've... I've never felt this way about anyone before, Brucie, and I need your support on this. Please," he added for emphasis, something he almost never said to his best friend.

"Avey..." Brucie sighed and folded his arms in irritation.

"You're being more melodramatic than me and I don't like it. Where is the reasonable Averey Grey that I used to know?"

"...He fell in love," Averey said quietly, and exited without another word between them.

\--

It was really a _faerie_! One of the fae-folk from the ancient days! Ruukhal had been there to see Averey come up alone the first time, and had stayed motionless. Watching.

Of course he could do nothing the first time; that would alert this faerie to his presence. But he watched, and saw that the faerie was heading towards the nearby village, approaching it from the wooded thicket that connected it to the forest.

And Ruukhal had known _exactly_ how to trap the faerie the next time they showed themselves above ground.

He'd had to wait a full fortnight already, and was beginning to get surly from waiting in one spot for so long out of the day when it finally happened one late night.

The trap that he'd set off as far down the stairs as he'd managed to go-- only four or five steps-- was activated.

Meaning someone was very near the entrance at this exact moment.

Ruukhal's teeth glinted in the moonlight as he smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments are always much appreciated if you feel moved to leave any kind of feedback! Thanks for reading and I'll update this eventually :D


End file.
